Publications by authors named "Antonio Savinelli"
Biochemical characterization of mouse d-aspartate oxidase.
Biochim Biophys Acta Proteins Proteom
October 2020
D-amino acids research field has recently gained an increased interest since these atypical molecules have been discovered to play a plethora of different roles. In the mammalian central nervous system, d-aspartate (D-Asp) is critically involved in the regulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission by acting as an agonist of NMDA receptor. Accordingly, alterations in its metabolism have been related to different pathologies.
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- d-Amino acids, like d-aspartate (d-Asp), are the "wrong" form of amino acids not used in proteins but play specific roles in mammals, particularly with NMDAR and in diseases like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's.
- The modulation of d-Asp levels is important for addressing these diseases, but little is known about its synthesis; instead, levels can be affected through its degradation by the enzyme d-aspartate oxidase (DASPO).
- The study presents the first 3D structure of human DASPO, highlighting its unique features compared to similar enzymes, which opens up new possibilities for targeting its activity in therapies.