L-cysteine is an important amino acid for our proteins and also widely used in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries. Its synthesis therefore has key implications in health but remains costly. In a new study, scientists have discovered that the YeeE protein allows bacteria to uptake thiosulfate from the environment for cysteine synthesis. The crystal structure revealed a unique hourglass shape that allows YeeE to undergo minimal conformational changes for the uptake compared with other transporter proteins.
