Enzymes: Chemical Nature, Nomenclature and Mechanism

Enzymes are substances that act as catalysts in living organisms, regulating the rate at which chemical reactions proceed without being altered itself in the process.

The biological processes that occur within all living organisms are chemical reactions and most of them are regulated by enzymes. Without enzymes, many of these reactions would not take place at a perceptible rate. Enzymes catalyze all aspects of cell metabolism.

Enzymes also have valuable medical and industrial applications. From the fermentation of wine to curdling of cheese, enzymes assist in various industrial processes.

Chemical Nature

A large protein enzyme molecule is composed of one or more amino acid chains called polypeptide chains. The amino acid sequence determines the characteristic folding patterns of the protein’s structure which is essential to enzyme specificity. If the enzyme is subjected to changes, such as fluctuation in temperature of pH, the protein structure may lose its integrity and its enzymatic ability. Bound to some enzymes is an additional chemical component called a cofactor, which is a direct participant in the catalytic event and is required for enzymatic activity.

Nomenclature

Enzyme interacts with only one type of substance or a group of substances, known as the substrate to catalyze a certain kind of reaction. A classification system has been developed based on the type of reaction the enzyme catalyses. There are six principal categories and their reactions:

1.       Oxidoreductases – enzymes involved in electron transfer.

2.       Transferases – enzymes that transfer a chemical group from one substance to another

3.       Hydrolases – enzymes that cleave the substrate by uptake a water molecule (hydrolysis)

4.       Lyases – enzymes that form double bonds by adding or removing a chemical group

5.       Isomerases – enzymes that transfer a group within a molecule to form an isomer

6.       Ligases – enzymes that couple the formation of various chemical bonds to the breakdown to a pyrophosphate bond in adenosine triphosphate or a similar nucleotide.

Mechanism

In most chemical reactions, an energy barrier that exists must overcome for the reaction to occur. This barrier prevents complex molecules such as proteins and nucleic acids from spontaneously degrading and so is necessary for the preservation of life. Enzyme synthesis and activity are influenced by genetic control and distribution in a cell; however, they are not always found uniformly within a cell as they are often compartmentalized in the nucleus, on the cell membrane or in subcellular structures.

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