Chapter 4: Enzymes Flashcards
(149 cards)
- a rod-shaped bacterium originally discovered in a hot spring in Yellowstone National Park
- Can survive at temperatures between 50°C and 80°
Thermus aquaticus
proteins that catalyze the biochemical reactions.
enzymes
How do Thermus aquatics survive at extreme temperatures that would cook the life forms with which we are more familiar?
the structure of the enzymes is held together
by many more attractive forces than the structure of the low-temperature version of the same enzyme. Thus, these proteins are stable and functional even at temperatures above the boiling point of water.
Why was Thermus aquatica’s discovery important?
The thermostability of one of the enzymes of T. aquaticus, its DNA polymerase, revolutionized molecular biology by allowing the development of polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
a laboratory technique for rapidly producing (amplifying) millions to billions of copies of a specific segment of DNA, which can then be studied in greater detail.
Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)
Steps in PCR:
- Denaturation of helical DNA (94-96˚C)
- Annealing (68˚C)
- Elongation (72˚)
__ from T. aquaticus can withstand the temperature constraints of PCR.
Taq polymerase
- Biological catalysis was first recognized and described in the late 1700s, in studies on the __.
- Research continued in the 1800s with examinations of the __and various plant extracts.
- digestion of meat by secretions of the stomach
- conversion of starch to sugar by saliva
- In the 1850s, __ concluded that fermentation of sugar into alcohol by yeast is catalyzed by “__.” He postulated that these were inseparable from the structure of living yeast cells; this view, called __, prevailed for decades.
- Louis Pasteur
- ferments
- vitalism
- In 1897 __ discovered that __ could ferment sugar to alcohol, proving that fermentation was promoted by __ that continued to function when removed from cells.
- Eduard Buchner
- yeast extracts
- molecules
- __ later gave the name enzymes (from the Greek “en” = inside and “zymos” = yeast) to the molecules detected by Buchner.
- Frederick W. Kühne
The isolation and crystallization of urease by __ in 1926 was a breakthrough in early enzyme studies. He found that urease crystals consisted entirely of __, and he postulated that __. In the absence of other examples, this idea remained controversial for some time.
- James Sumner
- protein
- all enzymes are proteins
- In 1930s __ and __ crystallized pepsin, trypsin, and other digestive enzymes and found them also to be __.
- John Northrop
- Moses Kunitz
- proteins
- During the 1930s, __ wrote a treatise titled Enzymes. Although the molecular nature of enzymes was not yet fully appreciated, he made the remarkable suggestion that __. This insight lies at the heart of our current understanding of enzymatic catalysis.
- J. B. S. Haldane
- weak bonding interactions between an enzyme and its substrate might be used to catalyze a reaction
- Living organisms are filled with ____________.
- Thousands of ____________ occur rapidly within all living cells.
- Virtually all these transformations are mediated by ____________.
- ____________ are proteins specialized for catalyzing metabolic reactions.
- Enzymes catalyze reactions breaking down ____________.
- This breakdown allows cells to harvest ____________ for various cellular processes.
- metabolic activity
- chemical reactions
- enzymes; enzymes
- food molecules
- food molecules
Why are proteins, specifically enzymes, highly effective catalysts for a wide range of chemical reactions?
due to their capacity to specifically bind a very wide range of molecules.
How do enzymes bring substrates together for chemical reactions?
Enzymes bring substrates together in an optimal orientation by utilizing the full repertoire of intermolecular forces.
What is the role of enzymes in making and breaking chemical bonds?
bringing substrates together in an optimal orientation.
How do enzymes catalyze reactions?
by stabilizing transition states, which are the highest-energy species in reaction pathways.
What determines which chemical reaction takes place among several potential reactions?
by selectively stabilizing a transition state.
What are the two types of enzymes based on their requirement for chemical groups?
- those that require no chemical groups other than their amino acid residues for activity
- those that require an additional chemical component called a cofactor.
What is a cofactor, and what are the two main types of cofactors mentioned?
A cofactor is an additional chemical component required by some enzymes.
There are two main types of cofactors:
- inorganic ions (such as Fe2+, Mg2+, Mn2+, or Zn2+)
- complex organic or metalloorganic molecules called coenzymes.
What is a coenzyme, and what distinguishes it from inorganic ions in enzyme activity?
A coenzyme is a complex organic or metalloorganic molecule that serves as a cofactor for some enzymes. It differs from inorganic ions as it is a more complex, often organic molecule.
Why do apoenzymes require cofactors?
cofactors provide additional chemically reactive functional groups beyond those present in the amino acid side chains of apoenzymes.