Disease Relevance
As humans do not have tryptophan synthase, this enzyme has been explored as a potential drug target. However, it is thought that bacteria have alternate mechanisms to produce amino acids which might make this approach less effective. In either case, even if the drug only weakens bacteria, it might still be useful as the bacteria are already vulnerable in the hostile host environment. As such, the inhibition of tryptophan synthase along with other PLP-enzymes in amino acid metabolism has the potential to help solve medical problems.
Inhibition of tryptophan synthase and other PLP-enzymes in amino acid metabolism has been suggested for:
- Treatment of tuberculosis
- Treatment of ocular and genital infections
- Treatment of cryptosporidiosis
- Herbicide use
Read more about this topic: Tryptophan Synthase
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