Brian G. Miller

Phylogenetic Investigation of the 100 kDa Hexokinase Enzyme Family with the Topiary Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction Pipeline

This study uses Topiary to reconstruct and characterize ancestral HK enzymes, revealing evolutionary changes in allosteric regulation within the HK family.

Conformational Expansion Underlies the Evolutionary Emergence of Redox Sensitivity in Vertebrate Glucokinases

This study identifies the evolutionary emergence of redox sensitivity in vertebrate glucokinases through conformational expansion and cysteine residue acquisition.

Conformational Diversity and Substrate Specificity are Decoupled in Ancestral and Extant Glucokinases

This study shows that substrate specificity in glucokinases is not linked to conformational diversity, as similar specificity ratios are observed across ancestral and extant forms with varying structural features.

Structural Co-optation and Loss-of-function Underlie the Evolution of Regulatory Novelty in the Glucokinase Regulatory Protein

This study identifies a single mutation that enables GKRP to gain small-molecule allostery through structural co-optation, without requiring new genetic material.

Evolution of Protein Regulation in the Vertebrate Glucose Sensor

This paper reconstructs extinct glucokinase (GCK) and glucokinase regulatory protein (GKRP) to study the evolutionary origins of protein regulation in vertebrate glucose homeostasis.

Gene sharing during enzyme recruitment reveals distinct adaptive strategies including massive, sustained duplication without divergence

This study investigates enzyme recruitment during adaptive evolution in E. coli, showing two mechanisms of gene amplification without divergence that maintain original function while enabling new metabolic capabilities.