Shiva Bhowmik

TL;DR: Elucidating methods to control the gut microbiome and bile acid pool composition in humans may lead to a reduction in some of the major diseases of the liver, gall bladder and colon.

TL;DR: This study identifies a keto intermediate, and demonstrates that the catalytic triad histidine catalyzes the tautomerization half-reaction, expanding the role of this residue from its purely hydrolytic function in other serine hydrolases.

TL;DR: Site‐directed mutagenesis of BaiE from Clostridium scindens VPI 12708 confirm that these residues are essential for catalysis and also the importance of other conserved residues, Tyr54 and Arg146, which are involved in substrate binding and affect catalytic turnover.

TL;DR: The crystal structures of BaiA2, a short chain dehydrogenase/reductase from Clostridium scindens VPI 12708 that represent the first protein structure of this pathway, elucidated the basis of cofactor specificity and mechanism of proton relay and uncovered a novel nicotinamide‐hydroxyl ion (NAD+‐OH−) adduct contraposing previously reported adducts.

TL;DR: It is reported that BphD preferentially hydrolyzed a series of 3-substituted HOPDAs in the order H > F > Cl > Me, suggesting that catalysis is affected by steric, not electronic, determinants.