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Gamers have deciphered the structure of a key HIV enzyme
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
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Fans of on-line games "Fold-it", developed by specialists from the University of Washington (University of Washington) helped to decipher the structure of the key enzyme of HIV.
The representative of the Department of Biochemistry of the University of Washington Firas Khatib (Firas Khatib), said that to determine the three-dimensional puzzle structure of the protease enzyme, which plays a very important role in the life cycle of retroviruses, scientists asked to help gamers who had to choose the optimal variant of the enzyme structure.
To solve the set task - the selection of the most optimal protease structure for retroviruses, it took gamers only three weeks.
Scientists have finalized this option and a few days later presented an exact model of the enzyme. According to them, in this molecule gamers were able to identify new targets for antiretroviral drugs that inactivate the protease enzyme.