Biochemistry Flashcards
How do catalysts function?
They speed up reaction rate by lowering activation energy
What is the transition state (intermediate) in a reaction?
This is the unstable stage beween reactants and products
What is glycogen storage disease and what are its consequences?
It is an enzyme deficiency that results in the failure of glycogen to reach the phosphorylated transition state
This means glucose cannot be obtained from glycogen stores
Hepatomegaly (fatty liver) will result due to glycogen build up
What are the variants of the extra molecules (as well as enzymes) that are often reqired for some enzymatic processes to proceed?
- Cofactors - metal ions
- Coenzymes - organic molecules
What are metal ions that contain metal cofactors called?
Metalloproteins
Like enzymes, cofactors are always ____________ at the end of a reaction
Regenerated
Tightly bound coenzymes are called what?
Prosthetic groups
(these confer additional function)
What is the term given to an enzyme without a cofactor?
Apoenzyme
An enzyme with a cofactor is called what?
Holoenzyme
Give examples of metal ions that could be used as cofactors
- Zinc
- Copper
- Iron
Give examples of coenzymes
- Vitamins
- NAD
- FAD
- Lipoate
Binding of a substrate to an ezyme results in what?
Conformational change of the enzyme around the substate
This is induced fit (due to intermolecular bonding)
The enzyme/substate complex is now formed
Which two main factors affect enzyme fucntionality?
- Temperature
- pH
Describe the how temperature can affect the rate of an enzymatic reaction
It will increase to a point and then sharply drop off (past the optimum temp) due to enzyme denaturing
Describe how increasing pH affect the rate of an enzymatic reaction
It will increase as pH increases until the optimum rate is achieved (at optimum pH) and then will decrease again
This produces a bell curve
What are isozymes?
Enzymes which have almost identical function but have slightly different amino acid sequencing
How can the number of certain isozymes in certain tissues/blood be used to diagnose a medical condition?
Different isozymes are synthesised in different regions of the body or at different atges in embryonic/foetal development
Finding the “wrong” isozyme at a certain time, or location in the body may be indicative of a medical condition
How can phosphorylation regulate enzyme activity?
It can convert the enzyme between inactive and active forms
Phosphorylation is a reversible process that involves which two enzymes?
- Kinase - adds phosphate
- Phosphotase - removes phosphate
What are zymogens?
Inactive precursors of an enzyme which are converted to active forms by cleavage of a covalent bond
What is produced after the catabolism of glucose?
Two pyruvate molecules
There is also a net gain of 2ATP, 2NADH and 2H+
What is NAD+?
Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide
It is derived from niacin - a vitamin
It is used as an electron carrier by forming NADH
What is NADH required for?
The transfer of electrons to the respiratory electron transfer chain in stage 3 of ATP synthesis
What are the three diferent terms used to describe the second stage of ATP synthesis?
- Citric acid cycle
- Krebs cycle
- Tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA)
Where does the TCA cycle occur?
Mitochondrial matrix on the inner membrane
(this is where proteins required for the electron transport chain can be found, as well as ATP synthase and transport proteins)
Where is pyruvate synthesised?
The cytosol
How does pyruvate enter the matrix of the mitochondria? (3)
It must cross two membranes
- The intermembrane space is very acidic creating a pH gradient from the cytosol to the matrix which pyruvate can follow
- There is also a electrochemical gradient and pyruvate can utilise this as it is attracted to H+
- A pyruvate symport transporter allows entry of pyruvate into the mitochondria using H+/pyruvate symport, a form of contransport, by faciliated diffusion
Which process must pyruvate undergo to be converted to acetyl-CoA?
Oxidative decarboxylation
This is an irreversible reaction
Describe the four stages of the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate
- Pyruvate dehydrogenase converts pyruvate to hydroxyethyl thiamine pyrophosphate (HETPP), CO2 is given off as a by product
- Dihydrolipoyl transacetylase transfers (and oxidises) the hydroxyethyl group to lipoic acid which forms acetyl dihydrolipoamide
- The acetyl group is transferred to CoA forming one acetyl CoA per pyruvate
- NAD+ reoxidises dihydrolipoamide which forms one NADH - this is mediated by dihydrolipoyl dehydrogenase
Describe the TCA cycle
- Acetyl CoA forms citric acid upon binding to a four carbon subunit
- Decarboxylation of citric acid occurs twice yielding 2CO2
- Citric acid will also go through four oxidation reactions yielding 3NADH, 3H and FADH2
- As a result GTP is produced, and by the end the 4-carbon subunit is reformed
Where are all enzymes for the TCA cycle found and what is the exception?
Mitochondrial matrix
Succinate dehydrogenase is found in the inner mitochondral membrane - this is required to allow FADH2 to be synthesised
Overall, what does one molecule of glucose yield until the stage at the end of the TCA cycle?
- 4 ATP
- 10 NADH
10 H+ - 2FADH2
- 6CO2
What is PDC deficiency?
A sex linked condition only survivable by carrier females.
It will largely present as a neurological diseas ein childhood.
What is VMAX?
The maximum rate at which an enzyme can function
What is Km?
The Michaelis-Menten constant
This is the concentration of substrate required to elicit a reaction rate equal to 50% of VMAX
How is Km calculated?
Km = (k2 + k-1)/k1
- k1 is the forward rate constant for enzyme association with the substrate.
- k-1 is the backwards rate constant for enzyme dissociation from the substrate.
What is a Lineweaver-Burk plot?
This is a method of accurately determining Vmax and Km
The Michaelis-Menten equation (V0 = (Vmax[s])/Km + [s]) can be rearranged to the form y = mx + c
Therefore it can be plotted as a straight line
- The gradient = km/Vmax
- The y intercept equals = 1/Vmax
What are the two types of enzyme inhibition?
- Reversible
- Irreversible
What are the two types of reversible enzyme inhibition and describe them
- Competitive - inhibitor binds to active site used by substrate (orthosteric inhibition)
- Non-competitive - Inhibitor binds to an allosteric site to cause inhibition by changing conformation
Describe irreversible enzyme inhibition
This is non-competitive and involves a breakage of covalent bonds and change of structure - hence it is irreversible
How is Vmax affected by competitive inhibition of enzyme activity?
Vmax does not change
With enough substrate, the inhibitor can always be outcompeted
How is Km affected by competitive inhibition of enzyme activity?
Km is increased
More substrate is now required to have the same impact as before
How is Vmax affected by non-competitive inhibition of enzyme activity?
It is reduced
Some enzymes will become inactive and no increase in substrate can cause Vmax to reach the level it once
This is because enzyme activity will become the limiting factor
How is Km affected by non-competitive inhibition of enzyme activity?
It does not change
This is because any increase in substrate concentration will not impact Vmax which is already at its limit under these conditions
Which type of enxyme will not follow the Michaelis-Menten model of kinetics?
Allosteric enzymes
What is highlighted when Vmax is plotted against substrate concentration for allosteric enzymes?
The cooperation behaviour of the enzymes
A hyperbolic curve will be present on the graph
What is hydrolysis?
A reaction, when water is used to help split up a molecule
What is the first law of thermodynamics?
Energy, or matter, cannot be created or destroyed
What is the second law of thermodynamics?
When energy is converted from one form to another, energy is always lost - entropy will always increase
What is free energy?
The energy that is “free”, or available, to do work
How can free energy be calculated?
ΔG = ΔH - TΔS
or
ΔG = energy of products - energy of reactants
Whe calculating free energy, what is tempertaure measured in?
Kelvin
Describe exergonic reactions
- ΔG is negative
- The reaction is feasible
- The reaction can proceed spontaneously
Describe endergonic reactions
- ΔG is positive
- Energy is required in order for the reaction to proceed