Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is a nucleotide that provides energy to drive and support many processes in living cells, such as muscle contraction, nerve impulse propagation, condensate dissolution, and chemical synthesis. Found in all known forms of life, it is often referred to as the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer.
Peptidoglycan or murein is a unique large macromolecule, a polysaccharide, consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like peptidoglycan layer (sacculus) that surrounds the bacterial cytoplasmic membrane. The sugar component consists of alternating residues of β-(1,4) linked N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramic acid (NAM). Attached to the N-acetylmuramic acid is an oligopeptide chain made of three to five amino acids. The peptide chain can be cross-linked to the peptide chain of another strand forming the 3D mesh-like layer. Peptidoglycan serves a structural role in the bacterial cell wall, giving structural strength, as well as counteracting the osmotic pressure of the cytoplasm. This repetitive linking results in a dense peptidoglycan layer which is critical for maintaining cell form and withstanding high osmotic pressures, and it is regularly replaced by peptidoglycan production. Peptidoglycan hydrolysis and synthesis are two processes that must occur in order for cells to grow and multiply, a technique carried out in three stages: clipping of current material, insertion of new material, and re-crosslinking of existing material to new material.
Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a metabolic pathway that results in the biosynthesis of glucose from certain non-carbohydrate carbon substrates. It is an ubiquitous process, present in plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In vertebrates, gluconeogenesis occurs mainly in the liver and, to a lesser extent, in the cortex of the kidneys. It is one of two primary mechanisms – the other being degradation of glycogen (glycogenolysis) – used by humans and many other animals to maintain blood sugar levels, avoiding low levels (hypoglycemia). In ruminants, because dietary carbohydrates tend to be metabolized by rumen organisms, gluconeogenesis occurs regardless of fasting, low-carbohydrate diets, exercise, etc. In many other animals, the process occurs during periods of fasting, starvation, low-carbohydrate diets, or intense exercise.
Teichoic acids are bacterial copolymers of glycerol phosphate or ribitol phosphate and carbohydrates linked via phosphodiester bonds.
Pyruvate kinase is the enzyme involved in the last step of glycolysis. It catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group from phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), yielding one molecule of pyruvate and one molecule of ATP. Pyruvate kinase was inappropriately named before it was recognized that it did not directly catalyze phosphorylation of pyruvate, which does not occur under physiological conditions. Pyruvate kinase is present in four distinct, tissue-specific isozymes in animals, each consisting of particular kinetic properties necessary to accommodate the variations in metabolic requirements of diverse tissues.
In molecular biology, biosynthesis is a multi-step, enzyme-catalyzed process where substrates are converted into more complex products in living organisms. In biosynthesis, simple compounds are modified, converted into other compounds, or joined to form macromolecules. This process often consists of metabolic pathways. Some of these biosynthetic pathways are located within a single cellular organelle, while others involve enzymes that are located within multiple cellular organelles. Examples of these biosynthetic pathways include the production of lipid membrane components and nucleotides. Biosynthesis is usually synonymous with anabolism.
Phosphofructokinase (PFK) is a kinase enzyme that phosphorylates fructose 6-phosphate in glycolysis.
Fructose-bisphosphate aldolase, often just aldolase, is an enzyme catalyzing a reversible reaction that splits the aldol, fructose 1,6-bisphosphate, into the triose phosphates dihydroxyacetone phosphate (DHAP) and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P). Aldolase can also produce DHAP from other (3S,4R)-ketose 1-phosphates such as fructose 1-phosphate and sedoheptulose 1,7-bisphosphate. Gluconeogenesis and the Calvin cycle, which are anabolic pathways, use the reverse reaction. Glycolysis, a catabolic pathway, uses the forward reaction. Aldolase is divided into two classes by mechanism.
Pantothenate kinase (EC 2.7.1.33, PanK; CoaA) is the first enzyme in the Coenzyme A (CoA) biosynthetic pathway. It phosphorylates pantothenate (vitamin B5) to form 4'-phosphopantothenate at the expense of a molecule of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is the rate-limiting step in the biosynthesis of CoA.
In enzymology, an aerobactin synthase (EC 6.3.2.39) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, an UDP-N-acetylglucosamine 1-carboxyvinyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the first committed step in peptidoglycan biosynthesis of bacteria:
In enzymology, a butyrate kinase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Dispersin B is a 40 kDa glycoside hydrolase produced by the periodontal pathogen, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. The bacteria secrete Dispersin B to release adherent cells from a mature biofilm colony by disrupting biofilm formation. The enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of linear polymers of N-acetyl-D-glucosamines found in the biofilm matrices. Poly-acetyl glucosamines are integral to the structural integrity of the biofilms of various Gram-positive bacteria and Gram-negative bacteria and are referred to as PIA (PNAG,PS/A) in Staphylococcus species and PGA in Escherichia coli. By degrading the biofilm matrix, Dispersin B allows for the release of bacterial cells that can adhere to new surfaces close by and extend the biofilm or start new colonies. Currently there is interest in Dispersin B as a commercial anti-biofilm agent that could be combined with antibiotics for the treatment of bacterial infections.
Rhamnopyranosyl-N-acetylglucosaminyl-diphospho-decaprenol beta-1,3/1,4-galactofuranosyltransferase is an enzyme with systematic name UDP-alpha-D-galactofuranose:alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1->3)-N-acetyl-alpha-D-glucosaminyl-diphospho-trans,octacis-decaprenol 3-beta/4-beta-galactofuranosyltransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose-7-phosphate kinase is an enzyme with systematic name ATP:D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptose 7-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
UDP-N-acetylglucosamine kinase is an enzyme with systematic name ATP:UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-glucosamine 3'-phosphotransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Propionate kinase is an enzyme with systematic name ATP:propanoate phosphotransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Isopentenyl phosphate kinase is an enzyme with systematic name ATP:isopentenyl phosphate phosphotransferase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
N-acetylmuramic acid 6-phosphate etherase (EC 4.2.1.126, MurNAc-6-P etherase, MurQ) is an enzyme with systematic name (R)-lactate hydro-lyase (adding N-acetyl-D-glucosamine 6-phosphate; N-acetylmuramate 6-phosphate-forming). This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
N2-citryl-N6-acetyl-N6-hydroxylysine synthase (EC 6.3.2.38, N(alpha)-citryl-N(epsilon)-acetyl-N(epsilon)-hydroxylysine synthase, iucA (gene)) is an enzyme with systematic name citrate:N6-acetyl-N6-hydroxy-L-lysine ligase (ADP-forming). This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
