Enzymes and co-enzymes Flashcards
Reaction energetics, co-enzymes, enzyme mechanisms.
What are enzymes?
Biological catalysts - carry out all reactions taking place in the cell.
Many inherited diseases are caused by mutations in…
key enzymes.
Measurements of enzymes in blood can be used to…
diagnose disease.
How are enzymes used commercially (3)?
In food products, detergents and drug synthesis.
Enzymes can be split into 6 main groups.
What chemical reactions do oxidoreductases carry out?
Give some example enzymes.
Oxidation-reduction reactions in which oxygen and hydrogen are gained/lost.
Cytochrome oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase.
What chemical reactions do transferases carry out?
Give some example enzymes.
Transfer of functional groups such as an amino group, acetyl group or phosphate group.
Acetate kinase and alanine deaminase.
What chemical reactions do hydrolases carry out?
Give some example enzymes.
Hydrolysis (addition of water).
Lipase, sucrase and beta-galactosidase.
What chemical reactions do lyases carry out?
Give some example enzymes.
Removal of groups of atoms without hydrolysis.
Oxalate decarboxylase and isocitrate lyase.
What chemical reactions do isomerases carry out?
Give some example enzymes.
Rearrangement of atoms within a molecule.
Glucose-phosphate isomerase and alanine racemase.
What chemical reactions do ligases carry out?
Give some example enzymes.
Joining of 2 molecules using energy usually derived from the breakdown of ATP.
Acetyl-CoA synthetase and DNA ligase.
What is the transition state?
A transient (lasting only for a short time) high-energy species in the conversion of substrate to product.
Why is the transition state unstable?
One bond is in the process of being made and the other cleaved.
What does catalysis do to the transition state?
Stabilise it by decreasing energy.
Catalysts lower the activation energy for a reaction but have no effect on…
the Gibb’s free energy change.
Catalysts cannot make a thermodynamically unfavourable reaction become…
favourable.
Catalysts do not change the position of equilibrium but they do…
speed up how quickly the reaction takes to reach equilibrium.
Describe the role of an enzyme as a catalyst in a reaction.
- Enzyme provides specific environment (active site) for substrate where reaction is more favourable.
- Enzyme acts by lowering the activation energy (the energy needed to carry out a reaction).
- Enzyme accelerates conversion of substrate to product and is not used up in the process.
Why is there a peak of energy between E+S and ES?
(look at summary sheet if confused)
Active site has waters in/ the substrate is surrounded by waters and these need to be stripped away.
Why is there another peak between EP and E+P?
Energy is put in to break bonds (usually non-covalent) and release product.
How could the enzyme tightly binding to either the substrate/product limit catalysis?
Enzyme binds to substrate tightly meaning transition state is more stable but also more difficult to release the product.
The active site is designed to complement the reaction…
transition state.
Which forces stabilise the transition state?
The same forces that stabilised protein folding.
e.g. hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic, ionic and van der Waals forces.
In some enzyme mechanisms, the reaction involves the formation of…
a transient covalent bond.
What is binding energy?
The energy derived/obtained from complex formation.
What are co-enzymes?
Give some examples.
Non-protein organic molecules required for catalysis.
e.g. biotin, NAD+ and FAD.
What are co-factors?
Inorganic substances that are required for catalysis.
e.g. metal ions (Fe2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Mg2+ etc.)