Enzymatic activities

A more complex flavor development occurs in the production of chocolate. The chocolate beans are first fermented to develop fewer complex flavor precursors upon roasting, these give the chocolate aroma. The beans from unfermented cocoa do not develop the chocolate notes (84—88) (see Chocolate and cocoa). The flavor development process with vanilla beans also allows for the formation of flavor precursors. The green vanilla beans, which have Htfle aroma or flavor, are scalded, removed, and allowed to perspire, which lowers the moisture content and retards the enzymatic activity. This process results in the formation of the vanilla aroma and flavor, and the dark-colored beans that after drying are the product of commerce. 

Use of ultrafiltration (UF) membranes is becoming increasingly popular for clarification of apple juice. AH particulate matter and cloud is removed, but enzymes pass through the membrane as part of the clarified juice. Thus pasteurization before UF treatment to inactivate enzymes prevents haze formation from enzymatic activity. Retention of flavor volatiles is lower than that using a rack-and-frame press, but higher than that using rotary vacuum precoat-filtration (21). 

Mutagenicity. The AJ-nitrosamines, in general, induce mutations in standard bacterial-tester strains (117). As with carcinogenicity, enzymatic activation, typically with Hver microsomal preparations, is required. Certain substituted A/-nitrosamine derivatives (12) induce mutations without microsomal activation (31,33,34). Because the a-acetoxy derivatives can hydroly2e to the corresponding a-hydroxy compounds, this is consistent with the hypothesis that enzymatic oxidation leads to the formation of such unstable a-hydroxy intermediates (13) (118). However, for simple /V-nitrosamines, no systematic relationship has been found between carcinogenicity and mutagenicity (117,119—123). 

This resistance, inducible by low concentrations of dalbaheptides, is plasmid mediated and is transferable. Concomitant with the induction of resistance is the appearance or increased expression of a protein having a molecular weight of either 39,500 or 39,000. The enzymatic activity of this material has been postulated (112). Although the mechanism of resistance induction by dalbaheptides is unknown, different dalhabaheptides have different induction capacity. Vancomycin (39) is the most powerful inducer teicoplanin is a very weak inducer. 

Selenocysteine was identified in 1976 (57) in a protein produced by Clostridium stricklandii, and it is thought to be the form in which selenium is incorporated, stoichiometricaHy, into proteins. Studies with rats show that over 80% of the dietary selenium given them is incorporated into proteins, thus selenocysteine takes on metaboHc importance. Selenoproteins having known enzymatic activities contain selenocysteine at the active sites. Two other forms of metabohc selenium are recognized methylated selenium compounds are synthesized for excretion, and selenium is incorporated into some transfer ribonucleic acids (tRNAs) in cultured cells (58). Some of the more important seleno-compounds are Hsted in Table 4. Examples of simple ring compounds are shown in Eigure 4. 

Coagulation Factors II, III, VII, IX, X, XI, and Xlla fragments, thrombin, and plasmin are classified as serine proteases because each possesses a serine residue with neighboring histidine and asparagine residues at its enzymatically active site (Table 3). Factors II, VII, IX, and X, Protein C, Protein S, and Protein Z are dependent on the presence of vitamin K [84-80-0] for their formation as biologically functionally active procoagulant glycoproteins. 

It is essential to maintain high, maximal velocities of enzymatic activity for the attainment of optimal therapeutic efficacy. As a general rule, only enzymes whose MichaeHs-Menten constants He between 1—100 ]lM are effective as dmgs (16) because most substrates for therapeutically useful enzymes are present ia body fluids and cells at suhmillimolar concentrations. 

Figure 4.7 Two of the enzymatic activities involved in the biosynthesis of tryptophan in E. coli, phosphoribosyl anthranilate (PRA) isomerase and indoleglycerol phosphate (IGP) synthase, are performed by two separate domains in the polypeptide chain of a bifunctional enzyme. Both these domains are a/p-barrel structures, oriented such that their active sites are on opposite sides of the molecule. The two catalytic reactions are therefore independent of each other. The diagram shows the IGP-synthase domain (residues 48-254) with dark colors and the PRA-isomerase domain with light colors. The a helices are sequentially labeled a-h in both barrel domains. Residue 255 (arrow) is the first residue of the second domain. (Adapted from J.P. Priestle et al., Proc.

The a/p-barrel structure is one of the largest and most regular of all domain structures, comprising about 250 amino acids. It has so far been found in more than 20 different proteins, with completely different amino acid sequences and different functions. They are all enzymes that are modeled on this common scaffold of eight parallel p strands surrounded by eight a helices. They all have their active sites in very similar positions, at the bottom of a funnel-shaped pocket created by the loops that connect the carboxy end of the p strands with the amino end of the a helices. The specific enzymatic activity is, in each case, determined by the lengths and amino acid sequences of these loop regions which do not contribute to the stability of the fold. 

Protein engineering is now routinely used to modify protein molecules either via site-directed mutagenesis or by combinatorial methods. Factors that are Important for the stability of proteins have been studied, such as stabilization of a helices and reducing the number of conformations in the unfolded state. Combinatorial methods produce a large number of random mutants from which those with the desired properties are selected in vitro using phage display. Specific enzyme inhibitors, increased enzymatic activity and agonists of receptor molecules are examples of successful use of this method. 

A principal feature of GFC is its minimal interaction with the sample. This gentle technique allows for high recovery of enzymatic activity. For example,... 

FIGURE 2.16 pH versus enzymatic activity. The activity of enzymes is very sensitive to pH. The pH optimum of an enzyme is one of its most important characteristics. Pepsin is a protein-digesting enzyme active in the gastric fluid. Trypsin is also a proteolytic enzyme, but it acts in the more alkaline milieu of the small intestine. Lysozyme digests the cell walls of bacteria it is found in tears. 

The relative enzymatic activity of each fraction in catalyzing die xandiine dehydrogenase reacdon is cited as arbitrarily defined units. 

If the inhibitor combines irreversibly with the enzyme—for example, by covalent attachment—the kinetic pattern seen is like that of noncompetitive inhibition, because the net effect is a loss of active enzyme. Usually, this type of inhibition can be distinguished from the noncompetitive, reversible inhibition case since the reaction of I with E (and/or ES) is not instantaneous. Instead, there is a time-dependent decrease in enzymatic activity as E + I El proceeds, and the rate of this inactivation can be followed. Also, unlike reversible inhibitions, dilution or dialysis of the enzyme inhibitor solution does not dissociate the El complex and restore enzyme activity. 

Controls Over Enzymatic Activity— General Considerations... 

Controk Over Enzymatic Activity—General Considerations... 

BLOOD CLOTTING. The formation of blood clots is the result of a series of zymogen activations (Figure 15.5). The amplification achieved by this cascade of enzymatic activations allows blood clotting to occur rapidly in response to injury. Seven of the clotting factors in their active form are serine proteases ... 

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