Ch.

1] Problems 11

O=C.CH2CH2.CH.C05 + ATP + NH3 O=C.CH2CH2.CH.co; + ADP + Pi

NH3 NH2 3 (1.12)

L-glutamate L-glutamine

SUMMARY OF CHAPTER 1
Enzymes are proteins which catalyse, in a highly specific way, chemical reactions
taking place within the living cell. Often a further, non-protein, component called a
cofactor is required before an enzyme has catalytic activity.
Enzymes have been used for many centuries, although their true nature has only
become known relatively recently, and they are still of great importance in scientific
research, clinical diagnosis and industry.
Because of the lack of consistency and occasional lack of clarity in the names of
enzymes, an Enzyme Commission appointed by the International Union of
Biochemistry (now the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology)
has given all known enzymes a systematic name and a four-figure classification.
These, together with the source of the enzyme concerned, should be quoted in any
report.

FURTHER READING
Enzyme Nomenclature Recommendations (1992) of the Nomenclature Committee of
the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Academic Press
(note that the updated electronic version can be accessed at the following address:
http://www.chem.qmul.ac.uk/iubmb/enzyme).
Nomenclature Database, on the World Wide Web pages of the Swiss Institute of
Bioinformatics (SIB). See http:www.expasy.ch/enzyme.
Purich, D. L. and Allison, R. D. (2003), The Enzyme Reference: A Comprehensive
Guidebook to Enzyme Nomenclature, Reactions and Methods, Academic Press.

PROBLEMS

1.1 Give the systematic names and the first three digits in the E.C. classifications of
the enzymes catalysing the following reactions:

(Note: it should be possible to deduce the classification and make a reasonable

attempt at the systematic name from the information given in Chapter 1.)

+ H20 R.co- +
O o acyl choline acid anion choline
12 An Introduction to Enzymes [Ch.
1
(a)

H2N.COPO{- + +Pi

o 3 3 carbamoyl phosphate L-ornithine citrulline

(b) ATP + H3N.CHCO; + H3 N.CHCO- 2 H3N.CH.C.N.CHC05 +

ADP +Pi
CH3 CH3 H3C O CH3
D-alanine D-alanine D-alanyl-alanine

(c) C=O + NADH + H HOH + NAD

CH20H CH20H
dihydroxyacetone glycerol
H20po{
H20P032- HO

CHOHCHOH

CHOH CH20H CH20P032

CHOH D-
glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate
dihydroxyacetone-phosphate
D-frucrose- I ,6-bisphosphate

(f) NADH + 2 ferricytochrome b5 NAD +2 ferrocytochrome b5

(g) UDP-galactose UDP-glucose

(glucose and galactose are aldohexoses differing in configuration at C4)
1.2 Give the E.C. classification of the enzyme catalysing the following reactions:
(this question has been designed to encourage the student to become familiar
with the Enzyme Commission's recommendations and can only be answered
satisfactorily by reference to their report or to a detailed account of it.)
Ch. 1] Problems 13

(a) CH3.C.C02 + ATP + C02 -02C.CH2.C.co; + ADP + Pi

o o pyruvate oxaloacetate

(b) H2S + 3NADP + 3H20 e sulphite + 3NADPH

(c) ATP + AMP --x ADP + ADP

H20H
CHOH c=o
CH20PO{ CH20P02;
D-glyceraldehyde-3 -P dihydroxyacetone-
P
(e) Hydrolysis of dipeptides in cytosol, e.g.

H3N.CH2.C.N.CH2.co; + H20 -e H3N.CH2.co; +H3N.CH2.co;

o glycylglycine glycine glycine

(f) Endohydrolysis of a-1,4 glucosidic links in polysaccharides containing

3 or more a-1,4 linked D-glucose units.

co;

+ H20
+ CHCOÅ
co; NH2 CH2CO; co; NH2 CHCO;
N-(L-arginino)succinate L-arginine fumarate