Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a seemingly ubiquitous enzyme of profound physiological importance, which plays essential roles in respiration, acid-base homeostasis, bone resorption, calcification, photosynthesis, several biosynthetic pathways and a variety of processes involving ion, gas and fluid transfer. This enzyme, which is present in at least three gene families (a, ß, ?), has found favour as a model for the study of evolution of gene families and for site-directed mutagenesis in structure/function relationships, for protein folding and for transgenic and gene target studies. Since the early use of CA inhibitors as diuretics and in treating congestive heart failure, the enzyme has been target of considerable clinical attention. Much of this is now focused on endeavours to produce a new generation of such drugs for the effective treatment of glaucoma and other potential applications. Recent data, suggesting links between CA and various disease processes, including cancer, have stimulated further...

As we approach the twenty-first century the problems of industrialization are evident: we find there is a greenhouse effect, the ozone layer is being depleted, the rain is acidified, and there is a terrible problem of increasing C0 concentrations in the atmo 2 sphere. The carbonic anhydrases are a unique family of enzymes that solve these problems in the human body: they are responsible for converting C0 (a gas) to 2 HC0-, which is the biggest intracellular buffer, with a concomitant decrease in a 3 hydroxyl ion. Globally, the functions of the carbonic anhydrases in photosynthesis in rain forests and in the algae and plankton that cover our oceans indicate that they are also of utmost importance in the maintenance of the acid-base balance on our planet. Although the whole field of C0 metabolism is enormous and still rapidly 2 expanding, because of the research interests of the editors this book is mainly concerned with mammalian carbonic anhydrases. However, if the interested reader intends to purify carbonic anhydrases from nonmammalian sources, Dr. Cheg widden has provided the necessary information in Chapter 7. The carbonic anhydrases were first discovered in 1933; until1976 there were thought to be only two isozymes. Since then CA ill, IY, V, VI, and Vll have been discovered and well characterized. There is, of course, no reason to believe that we have found them all.

This book offers deep insights into the thermodynamics and molecular structures of the twelve catalytically active isoforms of human carbonic anhydrase (CA) with a particular focus on inhibitor binding for drug design. X-ray crystallographic structures in combination with enzyme kinetic testing provide information on the interaction of CAs and their inhibitors, knowledge which is crucial for rational drug design. CAs are zinc carrying enzymes that catalyse the reversible interconversion of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate and are involved in numerous cellular processes. They are therefore a common target for drugs. The suppression of CA activities through inhibitory compounds has found application for example in diuretics and in glaucoma therapy. In this book methods used to determine binding thermodynamics of inhibitory compounds (Isothermal titration calorimetry, Fluorescent thermal shift assay/differential scanning fluorimetry and others) will be compared in detail. Also types and chemical synthesis of CA inhibitors, the use of antibodies against CAs as well as inhibitor application in animals are discussed.

The study of carbonic anhydrase has spanned multiple generations of scientists. Carbonic anhydrase was first discovered in 1932 by Meldrum and Roughton. Inhibition by sulfanilamide was shown in 1940 by Mann and Keilin. Even Hans Krebs contributed to early studies with a paper in 1948 showing the relationship of 25 different sulfonamides to CA inhibition. It was he who pointed out the importance of both the charged and uncharged character of these compounds for physiological experiments. The field of study that focuses on carbonic anhydrase (CA) has exploded in recent years with the identification of new families and isoforms. The CAs are metalloenzymes which are comprised of 5 structurally different families: the alpha, beta, gamma, and delta, and epsilon classes. The alpha class is found primarily in animals with several isoforms associated with human disease. The beta CAs are expressed primarily in plants and are the most divergent. The gamma CAs are the most ancient. These are structurally related to the beta CAs, but have a mechanism more similar to the alpha CAs. The delta CAs are found in marine algae and diflagellates. The epsilon class is found in prokaryotes in which it is part of the carboxysome shell perhaps supplying RuBisCO with CO2 for carbon fixation. With the excitement surrounding the discovery of disease-related CAs, scientists have redoubled their efforts to better understand structure-function relationships, to design high affinity, isotype-specific inhibitors, and to delineate signaling systems that play regulatory roles over expression and activity. We have designed the book to cover basic information of mechanism, structure, and function of the CA families. The authors included in this book bring to light the newest data with regard to the role of CA in physiology and pathology, across phylums, and in unique environmental niches.

This volume assembles and integrates the wealth of diverse information that is now accumulating in this burgeoning field. The existing and potential therapeutic applications of targeting CA cover a remarkably wide-range of diseases and disorders and have generated increasing and extensive interest in recent years. Its inter-disciplinary approach embraces both the most up-to-date therapeutic application of CA-targeting and the latest research data that will provide a platform for the development of novel applications. The interested audience comprises scientists and clinicians from many relevant disciplines within science and medicine.

Carbonic Anhydrase: Its Inhibitors and Activators provides a state-of-the-art overview of the latest developments and challenges in carbonic anhydrase research. Authors describe the mechanisms of action of specific inhibitors in relation to physiological function, and present previously unpublished research on CA activators. Written by a team of in

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs, EC 4.2.1.1) are ubiquitous metalloenzymes, present throughout most living organisms and encoded by five evolutionarily unrelated gene families. The Carbonic Anhydrases as Biocatalysts: From Theory to Medical and Industrial Applications presents information on the growing interest in the study of this enzyme family and their applications to both medicine and biotechnology. - Offers comprehensive coverage of the carbonic anhydrases enzyme family and their properties as biocatalysts - Includes current applications of carbonic anhydrases in biotechnology on the basis of their catalytic efficiency, including new technologies for CO2 capture processes - Identifies new targets for drug design studies - Provides a selectivity profile for the different carbonic anhydrases and their related biomedical applications

Chemo-Biological Systems for CO2 Utilization describes the most recent advanced tools and techniques for carbon dioxide capture and its utilization. It discusses and compares the advantages of different systems and aids researchers and industrialists in understanding energy generation in the form of biofuels, bioelectricity, or biogas using chemicals; nanomaterials; and microbial, enzymatic, and chemo-enzymatic-integrated systems. It describes the importance and utilization of CO2 in living systems, and provides an overview of the various fundamental methods, policies, and techniques involved in CO2 conversion. Emphasis is placed on the production of value-added products using CO2, including biomethanol, industrial carbonates, and liquid or gaseous fuels. Features: Explains the correlations between microbial, biological, and chemical products and their roles in the conversion of CO2 into usable energy and related products. Being suitable for a broad audience, it addresses fundamental treatment methods for reusing environmental waste materials. Aids in decision-making and policy planning for environmental professionals. The information provided throughout this book will help researchers and professionals working in various industries to better understand the conversion of CO2 into energy-based products. Chemo-Biological Systems for CO2 Utilization also serves as a useful guide to seek alternative methods for clean energy and mitigating global climate change.

In-cell NMR spectroscopy is a relatively new field. Despite its short history, recent in-cell NMR-related publications in major journals indicate that this method is receiving significant general attention. This book provides the first informative work specifically focused on in-cell NMR. It details the historical background of in-cell NMR, host cells for in-cell NMR studies, methods for in-cell biological techniques and NMR spectroscopy, applications, and future perspectives. Researchers in biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology, cell biology, structural biology as well as NMR analysts interested in biological applications will all find this book valuable reading.

Carbonic anhydrases (CAs; EC 4.2.1.1) are metalloenzymes present in all kingdoms of life, as they equilibrate the reaction between three simple but essential chemical species: CO2, bicarbonate, and protons. Discovered more than 80 years ago, in 1933, these enzymes have been extensively investigated due to the biomedical application of their inhibitors, but also because they are an extraordinary example of convergent evolution, with seven genetically distinct CA families that evolved independently in Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. CAs are also among the most efficient enzymes known in nature, due to the fact that the uncatalyzed hydration of CO2 is a very slow process and the physiological demands for its conversion to ionic, soluble species is very high. Inhibition of the CAs has pharmacological applications in many fields, such as antiglaucoma, anticonvulsant, antiobesity, and anticancer agents/diagnostic tools, but is also emerging for designing anti-infectives, i.e., antifungal, antibacterial, and antiprotozoan agents with a novel mechanism of action. Mitochondrial CAs are implicated in de novo lipogenesis, and thus selective inhibitors of such enzymes may be useful for the development of new antiobesity drugs. As tumor metabolism is diverse compared to that of normal cells, ultimately, relevant contributions on the role of the tumor-associated isoforms CA IX and XII in these phenomena have been published and the two isoforms have been validated as novel antitumor/antimetastatic drug targets, with antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors in various stages of clinical development. CAs also play a crucial role in other metabolic processes connected with urea biosynthesis, gluconeogenesis, and so on, since many carboxylation reactions catalyzed by acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase or pyruvate carboxylase use bicarbonate, not CO2, as a substrate. In organisms other than mammals, e.g., plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, CAs are involved in photosynthesis, whereas in many parasites (fungi, protozoa), they are involved in the de novo synthesis of important metabolites (lipids, nucleic acids, etc.). The metabolic effects related to interference with CA activity, however, have been scarcely investigated. The present Special Issue of Metabolites aims to fill this gap by presenting the latest developments in the field of CAs and their role in metabolism.