Glutamate dehydrogenase reaction mechanism

A three-substrate, three-product enzyme-catalyzed reaction scheme in which the three substrates (A, B, and C) and three products (P, Q, and R) can bind to and be released in any order. A number of enzymes have been reported to have this mechanism for example, adenylosuccinate synthetase , glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthetase , formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase, and tubulin tyrosine ligase . See Multisubstrate Mechanisms... 

The major enzyme involved in the formation of ammonia in the liver, brain, muscle, and kidney is glutamate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the reaction in which ammonia is condensed with 2-oxoglutarate to form glutamate (Sec. 15.1). Small amounts of ammonia are produced from important amine metabolites such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and histamine via amine oxidase reactions. It is also produced in the degradation of purines and pyrimidines (Sec. 15.6) and in the small intestine from the hydrolysis of glutamine. The concentration of ammonia is regulated within narrow limits the upper limit of normal in the blood in humans is 70/tmol L-1. It is toxic to most cells at quite low concentrations hence there are specific chemical mechanisms for its removal. The reasons for ammonia toxicity are still not understood. The activity of the urea cycle in the liver maintains the concentration of ammonia in peripheral blood at 20/ molL. ... 

Behavioral disorders such as anorexia, sleep disturbances, and pain insensitivity associated with hyperammonemia have been attributed to increased tryptophan transport across the blood-brain barrier and the accumulation of its metabolites. Two of the tryptophan-derived metabolites are serotonin and quinolinic acid (discussed later). The latter is an excitotoxin at the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors. Thus, the mechanism of the ammonium-induced neurological abnormalities is multifactorial. Normally only small amounts of NH3 (i.e., NH4 ) are present in plasma, since NH3 is rapidly removed by reactions in tissues of glutamate dehydrogenase, glutamine synthase, and urea formation. 

The two estrogen der y ives, 4-mercuriestradiol (4ME) and 2-diazoestrone sulfate (DZE) react rapidly with cysteine residues in glutamate dehydrogenase DZE also reacts with pyruvate kinase. Estradiol slows the rate of reaction of these derivatives, which is consistent with an affinity labeling mechanism. The reactivity and instability of these derivatives, however, limit their utility. 

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