enzymology An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

, a 2-aminoadipate transaminase () is an

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

that

catalyzes Catalysis () is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quick ...

the

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemistry, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. When chemical reactions occur, the atoms are rearranged and the reaction is accompanied by an Gibbs free energy, ...

:L-2-aminoadipate + 2-oxoglutarate

\rightleftharpoons

2-oxoadipate + L-glutamate Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are L-2-aminoadipate and 2-oxoglutarate, whereas its two

products Product may refer to: Business * Product (business), an item that can be offered to a market to satisfy the desire or need of a customer. * Product (project management), a deliverable or set of deliverables that contribute to a business solution ...

are

2-oxoadipate 2-Oxoadipic acid, also known as α-ketoadipic acid, is an Metabolic intermediate, intermediate in the metabolism of lysine and tryptophan. The conjugate base and carboxylate is 2-oxoadipate or α-ketoadipate, which is the biochemically relevant fo ...

and

L-glutamate Glutamic acid (symbol Glu or E; known as glutamate in its anionic form) is an α-amino acid that is used by almost all living beings in the biosynthesis of proteins. It is a non-essential nutrient for humans, meaning that the human body can s ...

. This enzyme belongs to the family of

transferase In biochemistry, a transferase is any one of a class of enzymes that catalyse the transfer of specific functional groups (e.g. a methyl or glycosyl group) from one molecule (called the donor) to another (called the acceptor). They are involved ...

s, specifically the

transaminases Transaminases or aminotransferases are enzymes that catalyze a transamination reaction between an amino acid and an α-keto acid. They are important in the synthesis of amino acids, which form proteins. Function and mechanism An amino acid con ...

, which transfer nitrogenous groups. The

systematic name A systematic name is a name given in a systematic way to one unique group, organism, object or chemical substance, out of a specific population or collection. Systematic names are usually part of a nomenclature. A semisystematic name or semitrivi ...

of this enzyme class is L-2-aminoadipate:2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase. Other names in common use include alpha-aminoadipate aminotransferase, 2-aminoadipate aminotransferase, 2-aminoadipic aminotransferase, glutamic-ketoadipic transaminase, and glutamate-alpha-ketoadipate transaminase. This enzyme participates in

lysine biosynthesis Lysine (symbol Lys or K) is an α-amino acid that is a precursor to many proteins. Lysine contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated form when the lysine is dissolved in water at physiological pH), an α-carboxylic acid group (whi ...

and

lysine degradation Lysine (symbol Lys or K) is an α-amino acid that is a precursor to many proteins. Lysine contains an α-amino group (which is in the protonated form when the lysine is dissolved in water at physiological pH), an α-carboxylic acid group (whic ...

. It employs one cofactor,

pyridoxal phosphate Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, P5P), the active form of vitamin B6, is a coenzyme in a variety of enzymatic reactions. The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has catalogued more than 140 PLP-dependen ...

Structural studies

As of late 2007, only one

structure A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

has been solved for this class of enzymes, with the PDB accession code .

References

* EC 2.6.1 Pyridoxal phosphate enzymes Enzymes of known structure {{2.6-enzyme-stub