Structural bases for aspartate recognition and polymerization efficiency of cyanobacterial cyanophycin synthetase

Abstract

CphA1 catalyzes the synthesis of cyanophycin polypeptide consisting of equimolar amounts of aspartate and arginine as a fixed nitrogen reservoir in cyanobacteria. Here, the authors solve the cryo-EM structures of CphA1, revealing the aspartate binding mode and protein dynamics required for cyanophycin elongation.