Structures and the Active Site of Scytalone Dehydratase

From published protein X-ray structures of scytalone dehydratase (SD) in its apo form and co-crystallized with several inhibitors (Table 20.4), its binding niche in the presence of inhibitors is rather well known. Protein X-ray structures with the natural substrates scytalone or vermelone, which are considerably smaller in size than the inhibitors, are not available. 

PDB code Inhibitor class Year Resolution Ref. Inhibitor 

Comparing the amino acid sequences of the SDs in different organisms -augmented by the knowledge of 3D protein structures - enables us to rationalize the reasons for specificity or failure of fungicides to be active. Especially, resistance caused by mutations in the fungal target can be explained and, perhaps, circumvented. The sequences of all SDs known by 2006 are shown in Fig. 20.5. 

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