Arsenate reductase (azurin) () 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, ...

:arsenite + H₂O + 2 azurin_ox

\rightleftharpoons

arsenate + 2 azurin_red + 2 H⁺ The 3 substrates of this enzyme are

arsenite In chemistry, an arsenite is a chemical compound containing an arsenic oxyanion where arsenic has oxidation state +3. Note that in fields that commonly deal with groundwater chemistry, arsenite is used generically to identify soluble AsIII anions ...

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

, and oxidised

azurin Azurin is a small, periplasmic, bacterial blue copper protein found in ''Pseudomonas'', ''Bordetella'', or ''Alcaligenes'' bacteria. Azurin moderates single-electron transfer between enzymes associated with the cytochrome chain by undergoing oxida ...

, whereas its 3

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

arsenate The arsenate is an ion with the chemical formula . Bonding in arsenate consists of a central arsenic atom, with oxidation state +5, double bonded to one oxygen atom and single bonded to a further three oxygen atoms. The four oxygen atoms orien ...

, reduced

, and

hydrogen ion A hydrogen ion is created when a hydrogen atom loses or gains an electron. A positively charged hydrogen ion (or proton) can readily combine with other particles and therefore is only seen isolated when it is in a gaseous state or a nearly particl ...

Classification

This enzyme belongs to the family of

oxidoreductase In biochemistry, an oxidoreductase is an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of electrons from one molecule, the reductant, also called the electron donor, to another, the oxidant, also called the electron acceptor. This group of enzymes usually ut ...

s, specifically those acting on phosphorus or arsenic in donor with a

copper protein Copper proteins are proteins that contain one or more copper ions as prosthetic groups. Copper proteins are found in all forms of air-breathing life. These proteins are usually associated with electron-transfer with or without the involvement o ...

as acceptor.

Nomenclature

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 arsenite:azurin oxidoreductase. This enzyme is also called arsenite oxidase.

Structure and function

The enzyme contains a molybdopterin centre comprising two

molybdopterin Molybdopterins are a class of cofactors found in most molybdenum-containing and all tungsten-containing enzymes. Synonyms for molybdopterin are: MPT and pyranopterin-dithiolate. The nomenclature for this biomolecule can be confusing: Molybdopte ...

guanosine dinucleotide cofactors bound to

molybdenum Molybdenum is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Mo (from Neo-Latin ''molybdaenum'') and atomic number 42. The name derived from Ancient Greek ', meaning lead, since its ores were confused with lead ores. Molybdenum minerals hav ...

, a Fe-4Scluster and a Rieske-type Fe-2Scluster. Also uses a

c-type cytochrome Cytochromes ''c'' (cyt ''c'', c-type cytochromes) cytochromes, or heme-containing proteins, that have heme C Covalent bond, covalently attached to the peptide backbone via one or two thioether bonds. These bonds are in most cases part of a specifi ...

or as acceptors.

References

* * {{Portal bar, Biology, border=no EC 1.20.9 Enzymes of unknown structure