Biology subjects

DeVita, R.

Publications and source records attributed to DeVita, R..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2024

Characterization, structure and inhibition of the human succinyl-CoA:glutarate-CoA transferase, a genetic modifier of glutaric aciduria type 1

Glutaric Aciduria Type 1 (GA1) is a serious inborn error of metabolism with no pharmacological treatments. A novel strategy to treat this disease is to divert the toxic biochemical intermediates to less toxic or non-toxic metabolites. Here, we report a novel target, SUGCT, which we hypothesize suppresses the GA1 metabolic phenotype through decreasing glutaryl-CoA. We report the structure of SUGCT, the first eukaryotic structure of a type III CoA transferase, develop a high-throughput enzyme assay and a cell-based assay, and identify valsartan and losartan carboxylic acid as inhibitors of the enzyme validating the screening approach. These results may form the basis for future development of new pharmacological intervention to treat GA1.

biochemistry↗

bioRxiv2022

Characterization and structure of the human lysine-2-oxoglutarate reductase domain, a novel therapeutic target for treatment of glutaric aciduria type 1

In humans, a single enzyme 2-aminoadipic semialdehyde synthase (AASS) catalyzes the initial two critical reactions in the lysine degradation pathway. This enzyme evolved to be a bifunctional enzyme with both lysine 2-oxoglutarate reductase (LOR) and saccharopine dehydrogenase domains (SDH). Moreover, AASS is a unique drug target for metabolic genetic diseases such as glutaric aciduria type 1 that arise from deficiencies downstream in the lysine degradation pathway. While work has been done to elucidate the SDH domain structurally and to develop inhibitors, neither has been done for the LOR domain. Here, we purify and characterize LOR, show that AASS is rate-limiting upon high lysine exposure of mice, and present the crystal structure of the human LOR domain, which should enable future efforts to identify inhibitors of this novel drug target.

biochemistry↗