Word: aminetzach
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Dates: during 2009-2009
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When lead author Yael T. Aminetzach, a postdoctoral fellow in OEB, compared the toxin to a nontoxic counterpart, she found that the molecular changes occurred in active site of the enzyme. While the toxins from the lizard and the shrew are distinct, the overall trend of changes turned out to be the same...
...There were three very important changes that can potentially increase the catalytic ability of the enzyme,” said Aminetzach. “The active site opened up, the loops around the active site became more flexible, and the surface electrostatic charge changed from negative to positive...
...Aminetzach said this week that she hopes to continue with this research and collect data on other snakes and lizards to see whether similar changes in the active site of other enzymes also led to the enzymes eventually evolving into toxins...
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