Arnold F H, Wintrode P L, Miyazaki K, Gershenson A
Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering 210-41, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
Trends Biochem Sci. 2001 Feb;26(2):100-6. doi: 10.1016/s0968-0004(00)01755-2.
Enzymes that are adapted to widely different temperature niches are being used to investigate the molecular basis of protein stability and enzyme function. However, natural evolution is complex: random noise, historical accidents and ignorance of the selection pressures at work during adaptation all cloud comparative studies. Here, we review how adaptation in the laboratory by directed evolution can complement studies of natural enzymes in the effort to understand stability and function. Laboratory evolution experiments can attempt to mimic natural evolution and identify different adaptive mechanisms. However, laboratory evolution might make its biggest contribution in explorations of nonnatural functions, by allowing us to distinguish the properties nutured by evolution from those dictated by the laws of physical chemistry.
适应于广泛不同温度生态位的酶正被用于研究蛋白质稳定性和酶功能的分子基础。然而，自然进化是复杂的：随机噪声、历史偶然事件以及对适应过程中起作用的选择压力的忽视，都给比较研究带来了困扰。在这里，我们回顾了在实验室中通过定向进化进行的适应性研究如何能够补充对天然酶的研究，以帮助理解稳定性和功能。实验室进化实验可以尝试模拟自然进化并识别不同的适应性机制。然而，实验室进化可能在探索非天然功能方面做出最大贡献，因为它使我们能够区分由进化培育的特性和由物理化学规律决定的特性。
