title: Repurposing TRASH: emergence of the enzyme organomercurial lyase from a non-catalytic zinc finger scaffold.
creator: Kaur, Gurmeet
creator: Subramanian, Srikrishna
description: The mercury resistance pathway enzyme organomercurial lyase (MerB) catalyzes the conversion of organomercurials to ionic mercury (Hg(2+)). Here, we provide evidence for the emergence of this enzyme from a TRASH-like, non-enzymatic, treble-clef zinc finger ancestor by domain duplication and fusion. Surprisingly, the structure-stabilizing metal-binding core of the treble-clef appears to have been repurposed in evolution to serve a catalytic role. Novel enzymatic functions are believed to have evolved from ancestral generalist catalytic scaffolds or from already specialized enzymes with catalytic promiscuity. The emergence of MerB from a zinc finger ancestor serves as a rare example of how a novel enzyme may emerge from a non-catalytic scaffold with a related binding function.
publisher: Elsevier
date: 2014-10
type: Article
type: NonPeerReviewed
relation: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1047847714001877
identifier:   Kaur, Gurmeet and Subramanian, Srikrishna  (2014) Repurposing TRASH: emergence of the enzyme organomercurial lyase from a non-catalytic zinc finger scaffold.  Journal of structural biology, 188 (1).  pp. 16-21.  ISSN 1095-8657     
relation: http://crdd.osdd.net/open/1561/