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Probing Interactions Between Canonical Nox Domains, Akua Acheampong

Master of Science in Integrative Biology Theses

NAPDH oxidase enzymes (NOXes) reduce molecular oxygen to superoxide and other ROS. NOXes contain a catalytic core comprising a heme-containing transmembrane (TM) domain and a cytoplasmic dehydrogenase (DH) domain that binds the substrate NADPH and the cofactor. Previously, NOXes were only characterized in eukaryotes, but have recently been identified in prokaryotes, namely bacteria. Due to their constitutive activity and solubility in detergent, bacterial NOXes, such as Streptococcus Pneumoniae NOX, have emerged as a model for studying NOXes. Past research studies in NOXes have identified conserved, putative interacting regions at the interface of the TM and DH domains: the TM B-loop, …