BCM2121 [2521]

STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL BIOCHEMISTRY I

LECTURE 8: VITAMINS AND COENZYMES

Aluwani Nemukula
New Life Sciences Building, Room SF-059,
Ext. 9324,
Aluwani.Nemukula@univen.ac.za
 ENZYME STRUCTURE
Simple and Conjugated
Enzymes:

•Most enzymes are globular proteins;

some are simple proteins; other are
conjugated proteins
•Simple enzyme: composed only of protein
(amino acid chains)
•Conjugated enzyme: has a non-protein
part in addition to protein part.
1. apoenzyme → protein part (inactive in
itself)
2. coenzyme/cofactor → non-protein
organic (coenzyme) or non-protein organic
(cofactor)
• Apoenzyme + cofactor = holoenzyme
(biologically active conjugated enzyme)
COMMON COFACTORS & COENZYMES
 Introduction to Vitamins
 Organic molecules, essential for the
 normal growth and development,
 required in tiny amounts
 Cannot be synthesized by mammalian
 cells, must be supplied in the diet
 Classification of Vitamins:
• Water-soluble：thiamineVB1, riboflavinVB2, niacin (VB3)
pantothenic acid（VB5）, VB6, biotin（VB7）, folic acid
（VB11 VB9 ）, cobalaminVB12, Vit C

• Fat-soluble：VA, VD, VE, VK

Introduction to Vitamins
 SECTION 1

WATER-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
Thiamine (VitB1)
Thiamine (VitB1)
Coenzyme: thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP)
Thiamine (VitB1)
Dual action as:

- cofactor for the pyruvate dehydrogenase

- α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase catalyzed

reactions

- the coenzyme of pyruvate decarboxylase

- the transketolase catalyzed reactions of the

pentose phosphate pathway.
Riboflavin (VitB2 )
 Riboflavin – precursor
for the coenzymes FAD,
FMN
 Flavin Conezmyes

Riboflavin powder
FUNCTIONS OF FAD and FMN
SUMMARY OF FAD and FMN
Niacin (VitB3)

 Nicotinamide Coenzymes
 Containing: Nicotinamic acid, nicotinamide
Coenzymes: NADH and NADPH
FUNCTIONS OF NADH and NADPH
SUMMARY OF NADH and NADPH
Pantothenic Acid (VB5)
▪ Coenzyme A

▪ “Pantothenic acid”
Pantothenic Acid (VB5)
• Function:
This coenzyme is involved in acyl-group–transfer
reactions
• Deficiency:
Pyridoxine (VitB6)
◼ Pyridoxine
◼ Coenzyme：pyridoxal phosphate（PLP）and
pyridoxamine phosphate（PMP）
（—NH3)

◼ Function：
▪ Coenzymes of amino acid metabolism (transamination ,
decarboxylation, racemization)
Summary of Pyridoxine (VitB6)
 Ascorbic acid (Vit-C)
◼ Ascorbic acid

Reduction Oxidation
 Ascorbic acid (Vit-C)

◼ Function：

• Prevention of scurvy（protect the

membrane）
• Participate in oxidation-reduction reaction

• The coenzyme of prolyl hydroxylase

（the synthesis of collagen protein ）

◼ Deficiency：scurvy
Biotin（VB7）
◼ Vitamin H （VB7）
◼ Cocarboxylase

O
Urea C
HN NH
HC CH
Thiophene
H2C CH (CH2)4 COOH
S Pentanoate【戊酸】
Function：Biotin is a prosthetic group
for enzymes that catalyze carboxyl
group transfer reactions
and ATP-dependent carboxylation
reactions.

Deficiency：Skin rashes,
brittle nails, as well as hair
thinning and loss (alopecia) .
Folic Acid（Folate）
• Vit9, VB11

6-Methylpteridin p-Aminobenzoic acid (PABA)

Pteroic acid Glutamic acid

Peteroylglutamic acid
• Coenzymes：tetrahydrofolic acid（THFA, FH4）

◼ Function：the coenzyme of one-carbon units

transferase

◼ Deficiency: Anemia can develop, causing

fatigue, paleness, irritability, shortness of
breath, and dizziness
Cobalamin (VB12)
• Cobalamin

• Function： Methyltransferases, Methyl (-CH3) group

transfers between two molecules.

• Deficiency：pernicious anemia
• Cobalamin Structure
 SUMMARY
• B-Vitamins Functions:
 SECTION 2

FAT-SOLUBLE VITAMINS
 Vitamin A
• Retinol
• Sources：animals and β-carotene

CH3 CH3 CH3 CH3

CH3 H CH3 H
C CH2OH C CH2OH
C C CH C C C CH C
H H H H H H

H3C CH3 H3C CH3

VA1 VA2
retinol dehydroretinol
 Vitamin D
◼ Function：
Promotes calcium （Ca）and phosphonium（P）
absorption into intestine.

CH3
CH3 H CH3 Skin of animals：
C C C C C
H H2 H2 H2 CH3 7-dehydrocholesterol
CH3

CH3
CH3 H CH3
HO C C C C C
H H2 H2 H2 CH3
UV CH2

230~300nm
HO VD3
 Vitamin E

 -Tocopherol

▪ ，， and  are physiological active.

▪  -Tocopherol is the most active form.
 Vitamin E

◼ Functions：

▪ Maintaining animal procreating ability,

anti-infertilitas.
▪ An antioxidant in cells： prevent the
oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids.
▪ Promote metabolism of heme.
 Vitamin K
◼ They are 2-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone (3-) derivatives

VK1
12
43

VK2
 Vitamin K
• Functions：promote the blood clotting
• Blood coagulation: prothrombin (factor II), factors
VII, IX, and X, and proteins C, S, and Z
• Bone metabolism: osteocalcin, also called bone Gla
protein (BGP), matrix Gla protein (MGP) and
periostin.
• Vascular biology: growth arrest-specific protein 6
(Gas6)

◼ Deficiency: coagulopathy