Structural Insights into the Forward and Reverse Enzymatic Reactions in Human Adenine Phosphoribosyltransferase

International audienceHighlights d Human APRT catalyzes the transformation of adenine into AMP and vice versa d Complexes with substrates in both directions of the reaction highlight key residues d The catalytic flexible loop dynamic is revealed by an in crystallo activity d Tyr105 is essential for cell growth by facilitating the forward reaction In Brief APRT is a key enzyme in the purine salvage pathway in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Huyet et al., by using in vitro, cellular, and in crystallo enzymatic analyses, reveal that a hydroxyl group in a conserved tyrosine controls the protein dynamics and the catalytic efficiencies of the forward and reverse reactions