Glycine (symbol Gly or G; ) is an amino acid that has a single hydrogen atom as its side chain. It is the simplest stable amino acid (carbamic acid is unstable), with the chemical formula NH2‐CH2‐COOH. Glycine is one of the proteinogenic amino acids. It is encoded by all the codons starting with GG (GGU, GGC, GGA, GGG). Glycine is integral to the formation of alpha-helices in secondary protein structure due to its compact form. For the same reason, it is the most abundant amino acid in collagen triple-helices. Glycine is also an inhibitory neurotransmitter – interference with its release within the spinal cord (such as during a Clostridium tetani infection) can cause spastic paralysis due to uninhibited muscle contraction.
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.
The Baeyer–Villiger oxidation is an organic reaction that forms an ester from a ketone or a lactone from a cyclic ketone, using peroxyacids or peroxides as the oxidant. The reaction is named after Adolf von Baeyer and Victor Villiger who first reported the reaction in 1899.
The Prato reaction is a particular example of the well-known 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides to olefins. In fullerene chemistry this reaction refers to the functionalization of fullerenes and nanotubes. The amino acid sarcosine reacts with paraformaldehyde when heated at reflux in toluene to an ylide which reacts with a double bond in a 6,6 ring position in a fullerene via a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition to yield a N-methylpyrrolidine derivative or pyrrolidinofullerene or pyrrolidino[[3,4:1,2]] [60]fullerene in 82% yield based on C60 conversion.
Orotidine 5'-phosphate decarboxylase or orotidylate decarboxylase is an enzyme involved in pyrimidine biosynthesis. It catalyzes the decarboxylation of orotidine monophosphate (OMP) to form uridine monophosphate (UMP). The function of this enzyme is essential to the de novo biosynthesis of the pyrimidine nucleotides uridine triphosphate, cytidine triphosphate, and thymidine triphosphate. OMP decarboxylase has been a frequent target for scientific investigation because of its demonstrated extreme catalytic efficiency and its usefulness as a selection marker for yeast strain engineering.
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.
Thiolases, also known as acetyl-coenzyme A acetyltransferases (ACAT), are enzymes which convert two units of acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl CoA in the mevalonate pathway.
In enzymology, sarcosine dehydrogenase (EC 1.5.8.3) is a mitochondrial enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction N-demethylation of sarcosine to give glycine. This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on the CH-NH group of donor with other acceptors. The systematic name of this enzyme class is sarcosine:acceptor oxidoreductase (demethylating). Other names in common use include sarcosine N-demethylase, monomethylglycine dehydrogenase, and sarcosine:(acceptor) oxidoreductase (demethylating). Sarcosine dehydrogenase is closely related to dimethylglycine dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the demethylation reaction of dimethylglycine to sarcosine. Both sarcosine dehydrogenase and dimethylglycine dehydrogenase use FAD as a cofactor. Sarcosine dehydrogenase is linked by electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) to the respiratory redox chain. The general chemical reaction catalyzed by sarcosine dehydrogenase is:
In enzymology, a 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate—homocysteine S-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction and is encoded by gene GAMT located on chromosome 19p13.3.
In enzymology, a methylenetetrahydrofolate-tRNA-(uracil-5-)-methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.74) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a trimethylsulfonium-tetrahydrofolate N-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a tRNA (uracil-5-)-methyltransferase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a pyruvate synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of pyruvate and acetyl-CoA. It is also called pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFOR).
In enzymology, a formimidoyltetrahydrofolate cyclodeaminase (EC 4.3.1.4) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, an oxaloacetase (EC 3.7.1.1) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction:
In enzymology, a formate—tetrahydrofolate ligase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a methenyltetrahydrofolate cyclohydrolase (EC 3.5.4.9) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
In enzymology, a N2-(2-carboxyethyl)arginine synthase (EC 2.5.1.66) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
Sparsomycin is a compound, initially discovered as a metabolite of the bacterium Streptomyces sparsogenes, which binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit and inhibits protein synthesis through peptidyl transferase inhibition. As it binds to the 50S ribosomal subunit, it induces translocation on the 30S subunit. It is a nucleotide analogue. It was also formerly thought to be a possible anti-tumor agent, but interest in this drug was later discarded after it was discovered that it resulted in retinopathy and as a tool to study protein synthesis; it is not specific for bacterial ribosomes and so not usable as an antibiotic.
