Front Microbiol. 2026 Jun 16;17:1866040. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2026.1866040. eCollection 2026. ABSTRACT The DRT3 bacterial defense system reveals a previously undocumented mode of specificity in DNA synthesis, wherein a protein active site, rather than a complementary nucleic acid strand, dictates nucleotide incorporation. This mechanism necessitates a precise spatial configuration. DRT3 does not encode a protein-to-DNA sequence transfer;…

FEBS Lett. 2026 Jun 25. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.70400. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT It is important to understand how the fascinating diversity of modern enzymes has manifested itself since the onset of life. A powerful approach to address this question is the computational and experimental retracing of evolutionary processes by protein engineering techniques such as rational…

Biophys Rev. 2026 Feb 17;18(2):307-325. doi: 10.1007/s12551-026-01418-x. eCollection 2026 Apr. ABSTRACT Protein nanopores have evolved into a powerful biophysical tool, from direct DNA sequencing to versatile molecular sensors that detect RNA, proteins, aptamers, and low-molecular-weight analytes. This review summarizes the current state of nanopore technologies for biopolymer sequencing and metabolite detection and discusses prospects for…

Transl Oncol. 2026 Jun 6;70:102851. doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2026.102851. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Nanozymes represent a transformative convergence of chemistry, nanotechnology, and biomedicine, giving rise to a new generation of enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials. Unlike natural enzymes that function optimally within narrow physiological ranges, nanozymes exhibit exceptional structural adaptability, tunable catalytic activity, and superior stability, making them highly…

Int J Biol Macromol. 2026 May 20:152585. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152585. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), a second-generation feedstock for cellulosic ethanol production, requires efficient pretreatment. This step is critical in biorefinery processes. During enzymatic hydrolysis, lignin limits cellulase accessibility, whereas β-glucosidase (BGL) functions as a rate-limiting enzyme. This review systematically summarises lignin-targeted pretreatment…

FEBS J. 2026 May 15. doi: 10.1111/febs.70584. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT A key step in the evolution of lignin-degrading enzymes is revealed by the observation that, unlike other heme proteins studied to date, ClassII peroxidases exhibit minimal energy transfer from tryptophan to heme residues. Bioinformatics analyses and molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) of ClassII peroxidases…

Foods. 2026 Apr 30;15(9):1555. doi: 10.3390/foods15091555. ABSTRACT This review comprehensively examines the structural architecture, catalytic mechanisms, and targeted molecular engineering of α-amylase (primarily the GH13 family), a pivotal biocatalyst in the food industry. We highlight diverse microbial sources of α-amylases and their cost-effective heterologous expression in well-characterized hosts like Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli. To…

World J Microbiol Biotechnol. 2026 May 9;42(6):273. doi: 10.1007/s11274-026-05005-w. ABSTRACT Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are a class of copper-dependent oxidases capable of cleaving glycosidic bonds in crystalline polysaccharides through oxidative mechanisms, playing a pivotal role in biomass refining and green biomanufacturing. However, natural LPMOs still face technical bottlenecks such as insufficient electron transfer efficiency, limited…

Nat Commun. 2026 May 2. doi: 10.1038/s41467-026-72534-1. Online ahead of print. ABSTRACT Enzymes can exist in multiple stable functional states or sub-states, revealing substantial molecule-to-molecule heterogeneity in catalytic rates even within populations expressed from a clonal gene. Increasing evidence suggests that biological systems have evolved to exploit these functional sub-states to regulate reaction rates and…

ACS Catal. 2026 Mar 30;16(8):7669-7682. doi: 10.1021/acscatal.6c00759. eCollection 2026 Apr 17. ABSTRACT Large language models (LLMs) have demonstrated their limitations in addressing the design of active proteins that rely on intricate intramolecular interactions, particularly in the engineering of biocatalysts. Conducting real-world studies from targeted laboratory assays has become the de facto standard for artificial intelligence…