Floss 9604888 This award supports a three-year collaborative research project between Dr. Heinz Floss of the University of Washington and Dr. Yu Sam Kim of Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea on "Stereochemical Studies of Malonate Metabolism." The goals of the project are 1) to determine the stereochemical course of malonate decarboxylation by the malonate decarboxylases from selected species and 2) to determine the stereospecificities, if any, of methylmalonate activation. Dr. Kim's research group in Korea has a long-standing interest in the metabolism and physiological role of malonate and its derivatives in plants and microorganisms and has done extensive research on this subject. Dr. Heinz' research group has extensive experience in the stereochemical analysis of enzyme-catalyzed reactions and has developed methods for the analysis of reactions involving malonate as substrate. This project will bring these research groups together to study the steric course of a number of enzyme reactions involving transformations of malonate or its derivatives. The study should lead to improved understanding of enzyme reaction mechanisms. ***
