Cysteine metabolism refers to the biological pathways that consume or create cysteine. The pathways of different amino acids and other metabolites interweave and overlap to creating complex systems.
In human cysteine metabolism,[ citation needed ]L-cysteine is consumed in several ways as shown below. L-Cysteine is also consumed in pantothenate/coenzyme A biosynthesis.
Enzyme | → | Products | Cofactor/Additional Reactant |
---|---|---|---|
cysteine dioxygenase [1] | → | cysteine sulfinic acid | iron |
serine racemase [2] | → | D-cysteine | pyridoxal phosphate |
cysteine lyase [3] | → | L-cysteate/hydrogen sulfide | pyridoxal phosphate/sulfite |
cystathionine γ-lyase [4] | → | pyruvate/NH3/H2S | pyridoxal phosphate |
cysteine—tRNA ligase [5] | → | L-cysteinyl-tRNACys | |
cystine reductase [6] | → | L-cystine/NADH and H+ | NAD+ |
cysteine transaminase [7] | → | 3-mercapto-pyruvate/L-glutamate | pyridoxal phosphate/alpha-ketoglutaric acid |
glutamate–cysteine ligase [8] | → | γ-glutamyl cysteine/ADP and Pi | ATP |
L-Cysteine is the product of several processes as well. In addition to the reactions below, L-cysteine is also a product of glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism.
Reactants | → | Enzyme | Cofactors | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
O-acetyl-L-serine/hydrogen sulfide | → | cysteine synthase [9] | pyridoxal phosphate | not present in humans |
L-cystine/2 glutathione | → | glutathione-cystine transhydrogenase [10] | ||
cystathionine | → | cystathionine γ-lyase [4] | pyridoxal phosphate | |
3-mercapto-pyruvate | → | cysteine transaminase [7] | pyridoxal phosphate |
Cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) is a non-heme iron enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of L-cysteine to cysteine sulfinic acid. CDO plays an important role in cysteine catabolism, regulating intracellular levels of cysteine and responding changes in cysteine availability. As such, CDO is highly regulated and undergoes large changes in concentration and efficiency. It oxidizes cysteine to the corresponding sulfinic acid by activation of dioxygen, although the exact mechanism of the reaction is still unclear. In addition to being found in mammals, CDO also exists in some yeast and bacteria, although the exact function is still unknown. CDO has been implicated in various neurodegenerative diseases and cancers, which is likely related to cysteine toxicity.
Beta-hexosaminidase subunit beta is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the HEXB gene.
N4-(beta-N-acetylglucosaminyl)-L-asparaginase (EC 3.5.1.26, aspartylglucosylamine deaspartylase, aspartylglucosylaminase, aspartylglucosaminidase, aspartylglycosylamine amidohydrolase, N-aspartyl-beta-glucosaminidase, glucosylamidase, beta-aspartylglucosylamine amidohydrolase, 4-N-(beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminyl)-L-asparagine amidohydrolase) is an enzyme with systematic name N4-(beta-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminyl)-L-asparagine amidohydrolase. This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
Serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT) is a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) (Vitamin B6) dependent enzyme (EC 2.1.2.1) which plays an important role in cellular one-carbon pathways by catalyzing the reversible, simultaneous conversions of L-serine to glycine and tetrahydrofolate (THF) to 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate (5,10-CH2-THF). This reaction provides the largest part of the one-carbon units available to the cell.
Guanosine monophosphate synthetase, also known as GMPS is an enzyme that converts xanthosine monophosphate to guanosine monophosphate.
N-acetyllactosamine synthase is a galactosyltransferase enzyme. It is a component of lactose synthase This enzyme modifies the connection between two molecule UDP-galactose and N-actyl-D-glucosamine and generates two different molecules UDP and N-acetyllactosamine as products. The main function of the enzyme is associated with the biosynthesis of glycoproteins and glycolipids in both human and animals. In human, the activity of this enzyme can be found in Golgi apparatus.
Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase is a transferase enzyme which converts phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) to phosphatidylcholine (PC) in the liver. In humans it is encoded by the PEMT gene within the Smith–Magenis syndrome region on chromosome 17.
In enzymology, a methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase (NADP+) (EC 1.5.1.5) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Cystathionine beta-lyase, also commonly referred to as CBL or β-cystathionase, is an enzyme that primarily catalyzes the following α,β-elimination reaction
The enzyme L-3-cyanoalanine synthase catalyzes the chemical reaction
The enzyme phenylalanine ammonia lyase (EC 4.3.1.24) catalyzes the conversion of L-phenylalanine to ammonia and trans-cinnamic acid.:
In enzymology, a 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactions of 3-mercaptopyruvate. This enzyme belongs to the family of transferases, specifically the sulfurtransferases. This enzyme participates in cysteine metabolism. It is encoded by the MPST gene.
The enzyme 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase (EC 4.2.1.10) catalyzes the chemical reaction
Palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase (EC 3.1.2.2) is an enzyme in the family of hydrolases that specifically acts on thioester bonds. It catalyzes the hydrolysis of long chain fatty acyl thioesters of acyl carrier protein or coenzyme A to form free fatty acid and the corresponding thiol:
In enzymology, a cystathionine gamma-synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the formation of cystathionine from cysteine and an activated derivative of homoserine, e.g.:
Aldo-keto reductase family 1, member B1 (AKR1B1), also known as aldose reductase, is an enzyme that is encoded by the AKR1B1 gene in humans. It is a reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-dependent enzyme catalyzing the reduction of various aldehydes and ketones to the corresponding alcohol. The involvement of AKR1B1 in oxidative stress diseases, cell signal transduction, and cell proliferation process endows AKR1B1 with potential as a therapeutic target.
Alcohol dehydrogenase [NADP+] also known as aldehyde reductase or aldo-keto reductase family 1 member A1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the AKR1A1 gene. AKR1A1 belongs to the aldo-keto reductase (AKR) superfamily. It catalyzes the NADPH-dependent reduction of a variety of aromatic and aliphatic aldehydes to their corresponding alcohols and catalyzes the reduction of mevaldate to mevalonic acid and of glyceraldehyde to glycerol. Mutations in the AKR1A1 gene has been found associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Long-chain-fatty-acid—CoA ligase 1 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACSL1 gene.
Dipeptidase 1 (DPEP1), or renal dipeptidase, is a membrane-bound glycoprotein responsible for hydrolyzing dipeptides. It is found in the microsomal fraction of the porcine kidney cortex. It exists as a disulfide-linked homodimer that is glygosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored to the renal brush border of the kidney. The active site on each homodimer is made up of a barrel subunit with binuclear zinc ions that are bridged by the Gly125 side-chain located at the bottom of the barrel.
Morpheeins are proteins that can form two or more different homo-oligomers, but must come apart and change shape to convert between forms. The alternate shape may reassemble to a different oligomer. The shape of the subunit dictates which oligomer is formed. Each oligomer has a finite number of subunits (stoichiometry). Morpheeins can interconvert between forms under physiological conditions and can exist as an equilibrium of different oligomers. These oligomers are physiologically relevant and are not misfolded protein; this distinguishes morpheeins from prions and amyloid. The different oligomers have distinct functionality. Interconversion of morpheein forms can be a structural basis for allosteric regulation, an idea noted many years ago, and later revived. A mutation that shifts the normal equilibrium of morpheein forms can serve as the basis for a conformational disease. Features of morpheeins can be exploited for drug discovery. The dice image represents a morpheein equilibrium containing two different monomeric shapes that dictate assembly to a tetramer or a pentamer. The one protein that is established to function as a morpheein is porphobilinogen synthase, though there are suggestions throughout the literature that other proteins may function as morpheeins.