AI-designed enzymes demonstrate targeted protein cutting

Researchers used AI-based design tools to create enzymes that can be tuned to cut specific proteins in half, demonstrating their effectiveness on proteins associated with neurological diseases. The work retained the catalytic cores of two types of protein-digesting enzyme, or protease, while replacing the rest of each protein. Proteases accelerate the breakdown of the stable bonds joining amino acids. One of the mechanisms used in the research relies on zinc to coordinate the bond, parts of the enzyme and a water molecule. The demonstrated result is protein cutting, rather than treatment of neurological disease.