Chapter 5: Microbial Metabolism Flashcards
Metabolism:
o The sum of all chemical reactions.
• Catabolism – BREAK down.
• Anabolism – BUILD up.
Catabolism:
o Breakdown of complex molecules into simpler molecules.
o Provides energy and building blocks for anabolism.
o ATP turns into ADP and P and Energy.
Anabolism:
o Build complex molecules out of simpler molecules.
o Uses energy and building blocks from catabolic reactions.
o ADP and P and Energy turn into ATP.
Microbial Metabolism:
o Although microbial metabolism can cause disease and food spoilage, many pathways are beneficial rather than pathogenic.
• Enzymes facilitate metabolic reactions.
• ATP is used by microbes and other cells to manage energy needs.
• Catabbolic reactions couple with ATP synthesis.
• Anabolic reactions couple with ATP breakdown.
Metabolic Pathways:
o A METABOLIC PATHWAY is a sequence of enzymatically catalyzed chemical reactions in a cell.
• They are determined by enzymes.
• Enzymes are encoded by genes.
Enzymes:
o Proteins.
o Catalyze chemical reactions.
o 3D globular shape.
Catalysts:
o Speed up a chemical reaction.
• Not permanently altered themselves.
Substrate:
o The substance that the enzyme acts on.
Active Site:
o The location upon the cell in which the substrate would act upon.
Coenzymes and Cofactors:
o Important Coenzymes:
• NAD, NADP, FAD, Coenzyme A.
o Cofacters can be metal ions:
• Zinc, copper, magnesium, manganese, calcium, cobalt.
Six Enzyme Classes Based on Type of Reaction they Catalyze:
o Oxidoreductase. o Transferase. o Hydrolase. o Lyase. o Isomerase. o Ligase.
Factors Influencing Enzyme Activity:
o Temperature (denature proteins when high).
• If temperature increases, rate of reaction increases until the enzyme (protein) id denatured by heat and inactivated.
• This causes the reaction rate to fall steeply.
o pH (denature proteins when high).
o Substrate Concentration.
• Increasing concentration of substrate molecule causes rate of reaction to increase until the active sites on all the enzyme molecules are filled.
• At this point the max rate of reaction is reached.
o Inhibitors.
• Competitive Inhibition: substrate and and competitive inhibitors compete for the active site of an enzyme.
• Noncompetitive inhibition: act on other parts of the apoenzymes or on the cofactor and decrease the enzymes ability to combine with the normal substrate.
Steps of Feedback Inhibition:
o 1. Substrate Binds.
o 2. Product Produced.
o 3. End-product binds to enzyme.
o 4. Pathway shuts down.
Testing for an Enzyme:
o Control:
• Urease Negative.
o Test:
• Bacterial urease hydrolyzes urea, producing ammonia.
• Raises the pH and indicator in medium turns fuchsia.
Ribozymes:
o RNA that function as catalysts by cutting and splicing RNA.
What is a coenzyme?
o Many Coenzymes are derived from B vitamins – nonprotein – associated with and activates an enzyme.
Why is enzyme specificity important?
o Allows the enzyme to find the correct substrate in a vast sea of molecules.
What happens to an enzyme below its optimal temperature?
Slow Reaction
What happens to an enzyme above its optimal temperature?
Denatures
Why is feedback inhibition noncompetitive inhibition?
Product binds to an allosteric site
What is a ribozyme?
o RNA that acts as a catalyst specifically on strands of RNA.
Oxidation-Reduction Reactions:
o OXIDATION: Removal of electrons.
o REDUCTION: Gain of electrons.
o REDOX REACTION: Paired reaction.
The Generation of ATP:
o ATP is generated by the phosphorylation of ADP.
o Organisms use 3 different mechanisms of phosphorylation to generate ATP from ADP:
• SUBSTRATE-LEVEL PHOSPHORYLATION: ATP generated when high-energy PO4– added to ADP generates ATP - Occurs in glycolysis.
• OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION: Generate ATP in the ELECTRON TRANSPORT CHAIN.
• PHOTO-PHOSPHORYLATION: Occurs only in light-trapping photosynthetic cells. Light energy is converted to ATP when the transfer of electrons (oxidation) from chlorophyll pass through a system of carrier molecules.
Metabolic Pathways of Energy Production:
o Store energy in and release energy from organic molecules. o Breakdown of Carbs to release energy. • Glycolysis. • Krebs cycle. • Electron transport chain.