Scientists uncover binding secret behind protein ‘superglue’

Scientists have pinpointed how a special class of plant-derived enzymes, known as peptide ligases, work to join proteins together — an important process in the development of drugs, for example in specifically attaching a chemotherapy drug to an antibody that recognizes tumor markers to target cancer cells. Using this knowledge, they created a recombinant enzyme that is 3,000 times faster than known types of ligases.