BMB 466 Final Exam Flashcards
Chapter 21-23
What is nitrogen fixation?
The process by which atmospheric N2(g) is converted into nitrogen-containing compounds useful in biochemical processes
What is required for nitrogen fixation?
- Nitrogenase Protein
- Reductant (Ferrodoxin)
- ATP
- Anaerobic conditions
What are diazotrophs?
Prokaryotes that fix atmospheric nitrogen into bioavailable forms
What are rhizobia?
Bacteria that fix nitrogen in leguminous plants (beans)
What are the two parts of the nitrogenase complex?
Fe-Protein (γ2)
MoFe-Protein (α2β2)
What is the Fe-Protein?
Homodimer with a single 4Fe-4S cluster and 2 ATP binding sites
What is the MoFe-Protein?
Heterotrimer with MoFe cofactor and P-cluster
What makes up the MoFe-Protein?
[4Fe-3S] and [1Mo-3Fe-3S] groups bridged by 3 sulfide ions
How much ATP is used in the nitrogenase complex?
4 ATP per pair of electrons (12 ATP to go from N2 to NH3)
What provides electrons to the Fe-Protein?
Ferrodoxin
What is the mechanism of the nitrogenase complex?
- Ferrodoxin provides electrons to Fe-Protein
- Fe-Protein binds to MoFe-Protein
- ATP-induced conformational change allows for electron transfer
- Dissociation of Fe-Protein from MoFe-Protein
What is the rate-limiting step of the nitrogenase complex?
Dissociation of Fe-Protein from MoFe-Protein
How many electrons are actually transferred in nitrogen fixation? How many do we consider are transferred? Why?
6 electrons are actually transferred, however, the reaction is considered an 8 electrons transfer due to competing reactions causing inefficiency
What reaction is competing with the nitrogenase complex from reducing nitrogen?
2 H+ —> H2(g)
What is the difference between ammonia and ammonium?
Ammonia: NH3
Ammonium: NH4+
What is nitrogen assimilation?
The coordination of NH3 into biomolecules for biological use
What are the substrates and products of CPS I?
NH3 + HCO3- —> Carbamoyl-P
What is the difference between CPS I and CPS II?
CPS I uses ammonia as a nitrogen donor and is involved in urea biosynthesis
CPS II uses glutamine as a nitrogen donor and is involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis
Where are the two CPS enzymes localized?
CPS I: Mitochondria
CPS II: Cytosol
What reaction is catalyzed by glutamine synthetase?
Amination of the gamma-carboxyl of glutamate to glutamine
What are the substrates of glutamine synthetase?
Glutamate, ATP, and NH4+
What is the mechanism of glutamine synthetase?
ATP hydrolysis to phosphorylate glutamate and then incorporation (not transfer) of NH4+ replacing the phosphate to make glutamine
What is the structure of alpha-ketoglutarate?
(-)OOC-CH2-CH2-CO-COO(-)
Is an aminotransferase enzyme envolved in nitrogen assimilation?
No; assimilation is incorporation of nitrogen into biomolecules. An aminotransferase is transfering an amine already on a biomolecule.
What two ways can alpha-ketoglutarate be used to produce glutamate?
- Amminated by an amino acid to glutamate via an aminotransferase (not assimilation)
- Nitrogen assimilation via glutamate synthase
What reaction is catalyzed by glutamate synthase?
Reductive amination of alpha-ketoglutarate to glutamate
What donates electrons to glutamate synthase?
NADPH
Why is glutamate not an essential ammino acid if humans do not have glutamate synthase like bacteria and plants?
Humans can produce glutamate via aminotransferase reactions, but it is not assimilation.
What is the overall reaction of glutamate synthase?
alpha-ketogluterate + glutamine + NADPH + H+ —> 2 glutamate + NADP+
What intermediate is formed in the reaction catalyzed by glutamate synthase?
alpha-Iminoglutarate
What is the steps of the glutamate synthase reaction?
- Deamination of glutamine to glutamate and NH3
- NH3 incorporates into a-ketoglutarate forming a-iminoglutarate
- Electrons are donated by NADPH to FADH2, then to FMNH2, then to a-Iminoglutarate
- Oxidation of FMNH2 causes the reduction of a-Iminoglutarate to glutamate
What is a lysosome?
Organelle used to degrade cellular substances
What is autophagy?
process by which damaged or unneeded organelles are digested by the lysosome to be recycled by the cell
What are cathepsins?
Lysosomal proteases with an acidic pH optima
What protects cells from lysosomal leakage of proteases?
Cathepsins have very acidic pH optima and many are inactive at cytosolic pH
What is the internal pH of lysosomes?
pH = ~5
Is lysosome protein degradation specific?
Depends on energy conditions:
Well-Fed State = non-specific
Starvation State = specific for tissues that atrophy in response to fasting (i.e liver and muscle)
What causes protein degradation?
Depletion of carb and fat stores, muscle disuse or injury, uterine regression
What is ubiquitin?
Small protein that marks intracellular proteins for degradation by a proteasome
How is ubiquitin attached to its target protein?
C-terminal of ubiquitin attached to side-chain amino group of Lys on target protein
What marks a protein for degradation in eukaryotes?
Polyubiquination (50+ ubiquitin molecules)
What is the process of ubiquination?
- Ubiquitin attached to E1
- Ubiquitin transfered to E2
- Ubiquitin transfered to target protein Lys
What is the name and function of the E1 step of ubiquitination?
Ubiquitin-activating Enzyme (E1) uses two ATP equivalences (ATP->AMP) to conjugate the terminal carboxyl group to the the enzyme
What is the name and function of the E2 step of ubiquitination?
Ubiquitin-conjugating Enzyme (E2s) transfers ubiquitin to specific Cys sulfhydral on an E2 enzyme
What is the name and function of the E3 step of ubiquitination?
Ubiquitin-protein Ligase (E3) transfers activated ubiquitin to the sidechain amino group of Lys to form an isopeptide bond with the condemned protein
What is the function of a proteosome?
Degrade ubiquinated proteins
What is the makeup of a proteosome complex? What are the densities (S) of the components?
The 26S Proteosome is made up of a 20S proteosome and two 19S caps
What are the functions of the two compents of the proteosome?
Caps: recognize ubiquitin and use ATP to unfold protein and feed into proteosome
(20S) Proteosome: generate amino acid fragments from polypeptide chain
How many active sites are in the 20S proteosome? Where are they located?
3 active sites inside of the hollow core formed by 27 subunits
What is the target of each of the three active sites in the 20S proteosome?
β1: Acidic residues
β2: Basic residues
β3: Hydrophobic residues
Describe the receptors tyrosine kinase signaling pathway:
- Ligand binding allows for Sos to bind to RTK
- Sos acts on GDP-bound Ras and exchanges it for GTP, activing Ras
- Ras phosphorylates Raf causing a cascade (Ras->Raf->MEK->MAPK)
- Transcription factors in the nucleus are activated via phosphorylation
How does insulin illicit a cellular response?
Activates Ras signaling cascade to mobilize glucose transporters
Describe the adenylate cyclase signaling pathway:
- Ligand binding GPCR activates G-protein by exchanging GDP for GTP
- G-protein stimulates or inhibits adenylate cyclase (depending on the type of G-protein)
- Activated adenylate cyclase uses ATP to produce cAMP
- cAMP activates PKA which leads to cellular response
Describe the phosphoinositide signaling pathway:
- Ligand binding to GPCR activates Gq by exchanging GDP for GTP
- GTP-bound Gq stimulates PLC to cleave PIP2 to DAG and IP3
- IP3 binds to Ca2+ receptor in ER membrane, causing Ca2+ release into cytosol
- Ca2+ activates calmodulin stimulating CaM Kinase and PKC
- DAG stimulates PKC
- CaM Kinase and PKC activate a cellular response
What receptor does insulin bind to?
Receptor tyrosine kinase
What receptor does glucagon bind to?
G-Protein Coupled Receptor
What receptor does epinephrine bind to?
G-Protein Coupled Receptor
What protein(s) does epinephrine stimulate? What does this depend on?
Epinephrine can stimulate PKA, PKC, or both depending on the type of adrenergic receptor
What organ releases insulin?
Pancreas
What pathway(s) does insulin stimulate?
MAPK (Ras) and PDK1
What are normal blood glucose levels?
~5mM
What is the Km of the GLUT4 transporter? Is this low or high?
Km = ~2mM
Relatively low to be able to rapidly take up glucose from the blood
What is Km?
The substrate concentration needed for half Vmax
What pathway(s) does glucagon stimulate?
cAMP formation and PKA activation for glycogen degradation and glucose release from liver
Glucose is released out of liver to the rest of the body through what transporter?
GLUT2
PKA signaling from glucagon has what effect on enzymes involved in glycogen synthesis?
Phosphorylates glycogen synthase (turns off) and glycogen phosphorylase (turns on) to stimulate glycogen degradation
What does epinephrine binding to liver alpha-adrenoreceptor stimulate?
- Ca(2+)
- Glycogen Breakdown
- Glucose formation
- Transport out of liver via GLUT2
What does epinephrine binding to liver beta-adrenoreceptor stimulate?
- cAMP
- Glycogen Breakdown
- Glucose formation
- Transport out of liver via GLUT2
What does epinephrine binding to muscle beta-adrenoreceptor stimulate?
- cAMP
- Glucogen Breakdown
- Glycolysis
What is the purpose of organ specialization?
Metabolic offloading
How much of the bodys oxygen use is done by the brain?
~20% despite making up 2% of body mass
Why does the brain have high metabolic activity?
High ETC activity to power Na+/K+ active transport for membrane potential management
What glucose transporter is used by the brain?
GLUT3
What are the effects of low blood glucose to the brain?
Coma or death
Why is muscle able to “steal” glucose from the brain?
GLUT4 (muscle) has a higher affinity to glucose than GLUT3 (brain)
What glucose transporter(s) are used by the muscle?
GLUT1 and GLUT4
What is the main fuel source for (skeletal) muscle cells?
Glycogen
What is the difference in energy source between skeletal and cardiac muscle?
Skeletal: glycogen
Cardiac: fatty-acids
How much of the bodys oxygen use is done by the muscle?
~30% at rest
How long is ATP available for without oxygen?
~1.5 min
What is the function of phosphocreatine?
Store phosphate to rapidly regenerate ATP
What is the reaction of ATP production from phosphocreatine?
Phosphocreatine + ADP -> Creatine + ATP
(the reverse reaction regenerates phosphocreatine in resting muscle)
What is the function of the liver as a metabolic clearinghouse?
Formation and breakdown of TAGs to release ketone bodies into the blood