A team around Zihe RAO at CAS Hefei Institute of Material Science has solved the structure of a respiratory supercomplex isolated from Mycobacterium smegmatis at3.5-Å resolution by cryo electron microscopy. Using low-temperature electron spin resonance equipment, a new electron transfer mechanism coupled with oxime oxidation and oxygen reduction was revealed. From the perspective of structural biology, it was confirmed that there is a direct interaction between superoxide dismutase and respiratory chain complex, as well as its role in scavenging potential free radicals and synergistic redox reactions. Targeted blockage of the respiratory chain of pathogenic bacteria is an important strategy for the development of drug-resistant tuberculosis drugs.

CAS news release, October 31, 2018