Laboratory of Applied Enzymology

Acting Head of the Laboratory: Natalia M. Litvinko
D. Sc. (chemistry)
Laureate of the State Prize of Republic of Belarus

Phone: +375 (17) 272-71-87
e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About the Laboratory

Established in 1985 (from 1985 to 2007 the laboratory was headed by Dmitri I. Metelitsa, D.Sc., professor).

Personnel: 8 researchers including 1 D.Sc. and 1 Ph.D.

Research directions

• Fundamental studies in the enzymology of interphase catalysis on the phase interface "phospholipid-water", identification of the relationship "structure and function" underlying the lipid-protein, protein-protein, protein-ligand interactions in the process of phospholipolysis involving phospholipases — markers of socially dangerous diseases: oncological, cardiovascular, infectious, inflammatory
• Construction of one- and multicompound liposomes, including conjugates of nucleic acid fragments with phospholipids, as potential drug carriers. Inhibitory analysis of phospholipases in the course of their interaction with low molecular bioregulators
• Development of a methodology for determining the activity of phospholipases, searching the new areas of applied research and practical applications of phospholipolysis, including for enzyme therapy and enzyme diagnostics.

Main achievements and developments

• Large-scale studies were carried out in the fields of interphase catalysis of phospholipolytic reactions to determine the dependence of their rate on the structure and properties of natural phospholipolysis catalysts —phospholipases A₂, C and D from various biological sources. They are: influence on enzymatic hydrolysis of supramolecular organization, charge and packing density of phospholipids (phosphatidyl - choline, - ethanolamine, - ethanol, - serine, -inositol, - glycerol, cardiolipin) at at the lipid-water interface, interactions of phospholipases А₂ with two cytochrome P450 isoenzymes, hemoglobin and myoglobin, and series of low molecular bioregulators, which resulted in a number of fundamentally new scientific results
• Technology for reagent kit for photometric determination of the activity of phospholipase A₂ in the blood for the diagnosis of pancreatitis
• A new methodology which combines more than 20 original methods and a set of test systems for determining the activity of phospho-lipases A₂ in biological fluids and its application for practical purposes including those based on biocatalytic systems:

- Monotype system which includes one enzyme Phospholipase A₂ - ligand. With its application, new effective inhibitors of lipolytic reactions - potential anti-pancreatic, antiinflammatory, anti-hemolytic (antidotes) prodrugs were found, among a number of organochlorine and organophosphate aryl compounds derived from 1,3-cyclohexanediones, oxazole, thio-tetronic acids, nucleoside derivatives, Me-analogs of prostaglandins etc. On the same basis, a system for pesticide safety estimation was developed;
- Cascade systems which include two proteins coming into action one by one. On the base of "Phospholipase A₂ - Cytochrome P450 system", a scheme for determining the safe dose of antibiotics for the gastrointestinal tract was constructed;
- Cascade system Phospholipase A₂ - Hemoglobin/Myoglobin.

• The PLA2-PhOA diagnostic kit, which has no analogues in the world, was created and introduced into clinical practice to identify patients with necrotic pancreatitis. The kit can be used to determine the total antioxidant activity of biological fluids.

Selected publications

1. Litvinko N.M. Hydrolysis of glycerophospholipids by the phosphatidylinosite-specilic phospholipase C. // Biophosphates and Their Analogous - Synthesis, Structure, Metabolism and Activity. - Amsterdam: Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. - 1987, P. 315 - 320.
2. Litvinko N.M. The activity of phospholipase A₂ and C in biochemical modeling. Pabl/Tehnoprint", Minsk (Rus.) - 2002, 350 p.
3. Litvinko N.M., Skorostetskaya L.A., Gudko T.G., Timokhova M.M., Kamyshnikov V.S., Vizhinis E.I., Vorobei V.A. Supramolecular complex of fatty acid with hemoglobin as an indicator of phospholipolysis for detection of experimental pancreatitis // Doklady Nat. Acad. Sci. Bel. (Rus.). - 2016. V. 60, no. 4, P.82-88.
4. Litvinko N.M . Skorostetskaya LA., Gerlovsky D.O. The interaction of phospholipase A₂ with oxidized phospholipids at the lipid-water surface with different structural organization. // Chemistry and Physics of Lipids. - 2018. V. 21I, P. 44-51.
5. Litvinko N.M., Skorostetskaya L.A., Gerlovsky D.O., Ermakovich Yu.Sh., Evdokimova G.S. The effect of UV-irradiated fatty acids on the spectral properties of myoglobin. // Doklady Nat. Acad. Sci. Bel. (Rus.). - 2019. V. 63, no. 1, P.44 -54.
6. Litvinko N.M., Skorostetskaya L.A., Gerlovsky D.O. A new approach toward the application of biochemical systems based on phospholipolysis. // Current Research in Bioorganic & Organic Chemistry. - 2019. V. 3, P. 19.