A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject.(September 2021) |
In the field of enzymology, murburn is a term coined by Kelath Murali Manoj that explains the catalytic mechanism of certain redox-active proteins. [1] [2] [3] The term describes the equilibrium among molecules, unbound ions and radicals, signifying a process of "mild unrestricted redox catalysis".
Murburn is abstracted from "mured burning" (connoting a "closed burning", an oxidative process), and implies equilibriums involving diffusible reactive oxygen species (DRS/DROS/ROS). Though akin to the oxygen assisted combustion of fuel, unlike the flames produced in the open burning process, the biological reaction occurs in enclosed premises, is mild and may generate heat alone (and no flames). Such a reaction could also incur selective and specific electron/moiety transfers.
Further, though burning is a reaction that usually involves oxygen (aerobic process), "burning flames" [4] produced by anoxic oxidants are also well-known. [4] Therefore, the enzymes working via murburn scheme (aerobic or anaerobic) could be called murzymes and the region around the biomolecule where the DRS interacts with the final ‘substrate’ is called ‘murzone’. [5]
While enzyme activities are classically defined by the interaction of the protein with its substrate at a defined active site (necessitating a topological recognition of the interactive participants), murburn scheme obligatorily invokes a DRS (or a reactive radical) for carrying out this agenda. [6] The conventional enzyme-substrate interaction scheme invokes Fischer’s lock and key type affinity or Koshland’s induced fit theory. That is, a substrate is identified by the enzyme by virtue of a topographical complementation, and thereafter, the enzyme-substrate complex undergoes a "transition-state," leading to products. [7]
Such a system shows certainty/determinism, usually abides by the standard models of kinetics (like Michaelis-Menten scheme) and the inhibitors may be of competitive, non-competitive, uncompetitive, etc. The classical enzymes have a unique substrate or a well defined set of substrates.
In contrast, murburn scheme (as shown in figure) might invoke an enzyme-substrate complementation, but this aspect is not obligatory. The kinetics of the reaction may at times not be traceable with standard models because the diffusible reactive species is subjected to multiple equilibriums and the product of interest may be favorably formed only in discrete concentrations of the protagonists.
Therefore, the outcomes in such systems could be subjected to a lot of uncertainty and the overall reaction scheme might exhibit varying and non-integral stoichiometry. The modulators/influencers (activators or inhibitors) may work by mixed modalities, owing to affects on the protein, substrate or the diffusible species. The murzymes may have a wide variety of substrates, as the reaction scheme is dependent on multiple modalities of interactions and outcomes. These considerations seek us to overcome the aesthetic perspective that DROS are mere manifestations of pathophysiology. [8] [9] A relevant comparison is that the presence of knife-racks, cutting boards and gloves in kitchen (analogous to enzymes like superoxide dismutase and catalase, membrane-embedded proteins with one-electron active redox centers, etc.) does not mean that knife is a dangerous component that must be avoided. On the contrary, it is an important tool across the globe that has to be used with adequate care. Quite similarly, the cellular machinery has evolved to harness the reaction potential of DRS. The aesthetic perspective/concern that DRS would wreak havoc in routine physiology is no more relevant because several decades of research has now clearly established that DRS are routinely observed and unavoidable in physiology, and they cannot be just wished away. [10] It has also been demonstrated that sustained release of DRS could afford selectivity (choice of a particular reactant from a variety, say B from A, B, C and D) and specificity (attack at a specific locus, like alpha- or para- positions of a reactant). Therefore, such a selectivity can be compared to how setting fire to a damp cloth dipped in oil burns the oil first and minimally chars the cloth's fabric. Analogously, murburn activity has cumulative collateral damage, which leads to aging, and ultimately, death. Murburn concept stresses the already well-established fundamental awareness that all molecules/processes in life have spatial, temporal, quantitative and contextual relevance. A comparison of the classical perspectives and murburn concept is given in the figure and the perceptional changes ushered in by murburn concept can be captured in the Table 1. [11]
The new mechanism has been proposed as an explanation for phenomena involving catalytic electron or moiety transfers, chemico-physical changes and unusual observations in various experimental, ecological, metabolic and physiological scenarios. Fundamentally, murburn concept advocates the thesis that DRS are vital requirements for routine metabolic and physiological functions. This theory is validated by its ability to explain the toxicity of cyanide to a variety of important life processes (particularly, respiration and photosynthesis). [12] [13]
Criteria/Role | Classical perception | Murburn concept |
Oxygen | Active site of redox proteins | Murzone around diverse proteins |
DR(O)S | Toxic waste | Essential intermediate |
Additives | Active/allosteric sites | Multiple interactive equilibriums |
Molecular interactions | Affinity driven complexations | Bimolecular collisions (± affinity) |
Mechanistic route | Unique | Multiple |
Protein structure | Conformational changes needed | Conformation change optional |
Mandate/Control | Deterministic | Stochastic |
The murburn concept has been used to criticize classical perceptions like Peter Mitchell’s and Paul Boyer’s chemiosmotic rotary ATP synthesis mechanism. [53] [54] [55] These criticisms have been called into question. [56] [57] These criticisms have in turn been responded to. [58] [59]
The late Lowell Hager (Member, NAS-USA and Professor of Biochemistry at UIUC) recognized the DRS-mediated murburn selectivity/specificity mechanism in chloroperoxidase. [60] Two books authored by respected European researchers were published in the UK that favorably discussed murburn concept. [61] [62] [63] Articles based in murburn concept were given cover-page credits in four annual volumes (2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) of Biomedical Reviews (the official journal of Bulgarian Society for Cell Biology) and the 167th (December 2021) volume of Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology (Elsevier). The advocates of murburn concept have provided precepts and proof of concept for murburn models of diverse life processes (drug metabolism, cellular respiration, thermogenesis, homeostasis, photosynthesis, electrophysiology, photo-transduction in retina, lactate metabolism in liver, role of hemoglobin in erythrocytes, etc.). Their comparative analyses also address the essential theoretical criteria (thermodynamics, kinetics, mechanism, structure-function correlations, evolutionary considerations, Ockham's razor/probability, etc.) and reported experimental findings. These writings also present pan-systemic and holistic appeal of the new theory and call out the untenable nature of several classical perceptions. Thus, murburn concept is poised to expand the classical concepts of biocatalysis, biological electron transfers, metabolism and physiology, leading to the discontinuation of several unrealistic terms/ideas in classical redox enzymology (like - electron transport chain, Z-scheme, Q-cycle, Kok-Joliot cycle, chemiosmosis, proton motive force, rotary ATP synthesis, etc.) that are currently advocated in textbooks. The erstwhile terms were invented to explain redox protein activity when murburn concept was not unraveled and researchers had confined their explorations to active-site and affinity-based logic alone. Incorporating murburn concept in teaching and research is the next step in the sequence of scientific progression.
(i) Post-translational and epigenetic outcomes: Since murburn processes can introduce oxidative and group transfer (halogenation, phosphorylation, hydroxylation, etc.) reactions, the various biomolecules (like proteins, DNA, matrix components, etc.) could be subjected to corresponding modifications, leading to metabolo-proteomic influences. [64]
(ii) Murburn concept explains the structure-function correlation of Na,K-ATPase. [65]
(iii) Murburn concept serves as a unifying umbrella for connecting acute-timescale cellular powering, coherence, homeostasis, electro-physiological/mechanical and sensory/response facets. Thus, it should be considered as a fundamental principle of life, along with cell theory and central dogma. [51] [64]
(iv) The “auto-assembled molecular rotary” functionalisms in biology is conclusively disclaimed with murburn-centric criticisms, as both Complex V (earlier!) and bacterial flagella-aided motility are shown to be water-mobilizing systems. [66] [67]
(v) The relevance of murburn concept in genetic and acquired respiratory diseases was pointed out.[Kelath Murali Manoj. What Is the Relevance of Murburn Concept in Thalassemia and Respiratory Diseases? Thalass. Rep. 2023, 13(2), 144-151; https://doi.org/10.3390/thalassrep13020013 [68] ].
(vi) American Institute of Physics portal publishes two-part review of murburn concept explaining multiple metabolic and physiological routines. These developments support murburn concept as a fundamental principle explaining diverse cellular functionalisms. [69] [70]
Cytochromes are redox-active proteins containing a heme, with a central iron (Fe) atom at its core, as a cofactor. They are involved in the electron transport chain and redox catalysis. They are classified according to the type of heme and its mode of binding. Four varieties are recognized by the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), cytochromes a, cytochromes b, cytochromes c and cytochrome d.
Oxidative phosphorylation or electron transport-linked phosphorylation or terminal oxidation is the metabolic pathway in which cells use enzymes to oxidize nutrients, thereby releasing chemical energy in order to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP). In eukaryotes, this takes place inside mitochondria. Almost all aerobic organisms carry out oxidative phosphorylation. This pathway is so pervasive because it releases more energy than alternative fermentation processes such as anaerobic glycolysis.
Photosynthesis is a biological process used by many cellular organisms to convert light energy into chemical energy, which is stored in organic compounds that can later be metabolized through cellular respiration to fuel the organism's activities. The term usually refers to oxygenic photosynthesis, where oxygen is produced as a byproduct and some of the chemical energy produced is stored in carbohydrate molecules such as sugars, starch, glycogen and cellulose, which are synthesized from endergonic reaction of carbon dioxide with water. Most plants, algae and cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis; such organisms are called photoautotrophs. Photosynthesis is largely responsible for producing and maintaining the oxygen content of the Earth's atmosphere, and supplies most of the biological energy necessary for complex life on Earth.
A dehydrogenase is an enzyme belonging to the group of oxidoreductases that oxidizes a substrate by reducing an electron acceptor, usually NAD+/NADP+ or a flavin coenzyme such as FAD or FMN. Like all catalysts, they catalyze reverse as well as forward reactions, and in some cases this has physiological significance: for example, alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of ethanol to acetaldehyde in animals, but in yeast it catalyzes the production of ethanol from acetaldehyde.
The cytochrome complex, or cyt c, is a small hemeprotein found loosely associated with the inner membrane of the mitochondrion where it plays a critical role in cellular respiration. It transfers electrons between Complexes III and IV. Cytochrome c is highly water-soluble, unlike other cytochromes. It is capable of undergoing oxidation and reduction as its iron atom converts between the ferrous and ferric forms, but does not bind oxygen. It also plays a major role in cell apoptosis. In humans, cytochrome c is encoded by the CYCS gene.
The enzyme cytochrome c oxidase or Complex IV, is a large transmembrane protein complex found in bacteria, archaea, and the mitochondria of eukaryotes.
Cellular respiration is the process by which biological fuels are oxidized in the presence of an inorganic electron acceptor, such as oxygen, to drive the bulk production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which contains energy. Cellular respiration may be described as a set of metabolic reactions and processes that take place in the cells of organisms to convert chemical energy from nutrients into ATP, and then release waste products.
In biology and biochemistry, the active site is the region of an enzyme where substrate molecules bind and undergo a chemical reaction. The active site consists of amino acid residues that form temporary bonds with the substrate, the binding site, and residues that catalyse a reaction of that substrate, the catalytic site. Although the active site occupies only ~10–20% of the volume of an enzyme, it is the most important part as it directly catalyzes the chemical reaction. It usually consists of three to four amino acids, while other amino acids within the protein are required to maintain the tertiary structure of the enzymes.
In chemistry and biology, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are highly reactive chemicals formed from diatomic oxygen (O2), water, and hydrogen peroxide. Some prominent ROS are hydroperoxide (O2H), superoxide (O2-), hydroxyl radical (OH.), and singlet oxygen. ROS are pervasive because they are readily produced from O2, which is abundant. ROS are important in many ways, both beneficial and otherwise. ROS function as signals, that turn on and off biological functions. They are intermediates in the redox behavior of O2, which is central to fuel cells. ROS are central to the photodegradation of organic pollutants in the atmosphere. Most often however, ROS are discussed in a biological context, ranging from their effects on aging and their role in causing dangerous genetic mutations.
Succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) or succinate-coenzyme Q reductase (SQR) or respiratory complex II is an enzyme complex, found in many bacterial cells and in the inner mitochondrial membrane of eukaryotes. It is the only enzyme that participates in both the citric acid cycle and the electron transport chain. Histochemical analysis showing high succinate dehydrogenase in muscle demonstrates high mitochondrial content and high oxidative potential.
In biochemistry, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is a redox-active coenzyme associated with various proteins, which is involved with several enzymatic reactions in metabolism. A flavoprotein is a protein that contains a flavin group, which may be in the form of FAD or flavin mononucleotide (FMN). Many flavoproteins are known: components of the succinate dehydrogenase complex, α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, and a component of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex.
Iron–sulfur proteins are proteins characterized by the presence of iron–sulfur clusters containing sulfide-linked di-, tri-, and tetrairon centers in variable oxidation states. Iron–sulfur clusters are found in a variety of metalloproteins, such as the ferredoxins, as well as NADH dehydrogenase, hydrogenases, coenzyme Q – cytochrome c reductase, succinate – coenzyme Q reductase and nitrogenase. Iron–sulfur clusters are best known for their role in the oxidation-reduction reactions of electron transport in mitochondria and chloroplasts. Both Complex I and Complex II of oxidative phosphorylation have multiple Fe–S clusters. They have many other functions including catalysis as illustrated by aconitase, generation of radicals as illustrated by SAM-dependent enzymes, and as sulfur donors in the biosynthesis of lipoic acid and biotin. Additionally, some Fe–S proteins regulate gene expression. Fe–S proteins are vulnerable to attack by biogenic nitric oxide, forming dinitrosyl iron complexes. In most Fe–S proteins, the terminal ligands on Fe are thiolate, but exceptions exist.
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Fumarate reductase (quinol) (EC 1.3.5.4, QFR,FRD, menaquinol-fumarate oxidoreductase, quinol:fumarate reductase) is an enzyme with systematic name succinate:quinone oxidoreductase. This enzyme catalyzes the following chemical reaction:
1,8-Cineole 2-endo-monooxygenase (EC 1.14.14.133, Formerly EC 1.14.13.156, P450cin, CYP176A, CYP176A1) is an enzyme with systematic name 1,8-cineole,NADPH:oxygen oxidoreductase (2-endo-hydroxylating). This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction
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