Benoît Desguin

Structures of two LarA-like nickel-pincer nucleotide cofactor-utilizing enzymes with a single catalytic histidine residue

The paper investigates two LarA-like enzymes lacking a catalytic histidine residue, solving their structures and revealing a novel octameric assembly and active site residues involved in carbohydrate metabolism.

Chemical dysbiosis byproducts trigger predation via alternative activation of a peptide quorum sensor in salivarius streptococci

The paper shows that S. salivarius uses both peptides and organic molecules to activate its quorum sensor, revealing a new signaling mechanism in bacterial communication.

Structural Basis for Catalysis and Substrate Specificity of a LarA Racemase with a Broad Substrate Spectrum

This study reports three high-resolution structures of a broad-spectrum LarA enzyme, revealing substrate binding mode and residues critical for substrate recognition and catalysis.