Natural mechanisms in environmental pollution

Salicylaldehyde dehydrogenase (SALD) is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in breaking down certain harmful pollutants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) found in the environment. PAHs are toxic compounds that are difficult to degrade and can pose serious health risks.

A group of researchers from SARomics Biostructures AB, Queen's University Belfast, and the University of Brighton used macromolecular crystallography (MX) at Diamond to understand the structure and function of SALD by isolating it from different bacteria, mainly Pseudomonas putida. They discovered that SALD helps in converting a specific intermediate compound, salicylaldehyde, into salicylate, a less harmful substance.

To study SALD in more detail, the researchers obtained the gene responsible for producing this enzyme from an alphaproteobacterium found in Alpine soil. They used advanced techniques to clone the gene into a vector and then expressed it in Escherichia coli. They purified the SALD protein and crystallised it, allowing them to examine its structure using X-ray crystallography.

By studying the structure and function of SALD, scientists can gain insights into how enzymes like SALD can help in breaking down harmful pollutants in the environment. This research contributes to our understanding of the natural mechanisms involved in pollutant degradation and provides a basis for developing new strategies to combat environmental pollution.

Find out what they discovered.