Magnesium enzyme activator

Magnesium Enzyme activator—DNA structure stabilization—Ribozymes... 

All organisms seem to have an absolute need for magnesium. In plants, the magnesium complex chlorophyll is the prime agent in photosynthesis. In animals, magnesium functions as an enzyme activator the enzyme which catalyses the ATP hydrolysis mentioned above is an important example. 

Younis, H.M., Weber, G. Boyer, J.S. (1983). Activity and conformational changes in chloroplast coupling factor induced by ion binding Formation of a magnesium-enzyme-phosphate complex. Biochemistry, 22, 2505-12. 

The use of alkali and alkaline earth group metal ions, especially those of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium, for maintenance of electrolyte balance and for signaling and promotion of enzyme activity and protein function are not discussed in this text. Many of these ions, used for signaling purposes in the exciting area of neuroscience, are of great interest. In ribozymes, RNAs with catalytic activity, solvated magnesium ions stabilize complex secondary and tertiary molecular structure. Telomeres, sequences of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that are implicated in cell death or immortalization, require potassium ions for structural stabilization. 

While having three metal ions in an enzyme active site is uncommon, it is not unique to PLCBc. The well-known alkaline phosphatase from E. coli (APase) contains two zinc ions and a magnesium ion [67], whereas the a-toxin from Clostridiumperfringens [68]. and the PI nuclease from Penicillium citrinum [69] each contain three zinc ions. Indeed, the zinc ions and coordinating ligands of PI nuclease bear an uncanny resemblance to those of PLCBc as the only differ-... 

Many proteins, including many enzymes, contain hghtly bound metal ions. These may be inhmately involved in enzyme catalysis or may serve a purely structural role. The most common tightly bound metal ions found in metalloproteins include copper (Cu+ and Cu +), zinc (Zn +), iron (Fe + and Fe +), and manganese (Mn +). Other proteins may contain weakly bound metal ions that generally serve as modulators of enzyme activity. These include sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca +), and magnesium (Mg +). There are also exotic cases for which enzymes may depend on nickel, selenium, molybdenum, or silicon for activity. These account for the very small requirements for these metals in the human diet. 

Magnesium (manganese) and calcium ions as enzyme activators 565... 

Calcium, in contrast to magnesium, does not have an important function as an enzyme activator, in accord with its different distribution. It is very important, however, in the control and triggering of biological processes such as muscle contraction and the release of various chemicals, including hormones, defence chemicals and neurotransmitters. This occurs when, in response to some stimulus, the normal selectivity of the cell membrane or the membranes of internal organelles breaks down, and calcium ions are allowed to enter the cell. These bind to specific sites and trigger certain reactions. 

The function of magnesium in enzyme activity may either be to form a complex with the substrate, as in the magnesium-ATP complex formed in creatine kinase and phosphofhictokinase, or to bind to the enzyme and either produce an allosteric activation or play a direct role in catalysis. If an enzyme is known to utilize a nucleotide as one of its substrates, it can be assumed that magnesium is also required for catalysis. The magnesium ion possibly acts as an electrostatic shield. The enzyme pyravate kinase, described earlier, and shown in Figure 1, requires both magnesium and potassium ions for maximal activity. 

This study has demonstrated that NO is sequestered preferentially by subcellular fractions ofthese cells that contain GC-S activity and that the sequestration of NO in these fractions stimulates the catalytic activity of GC-S. The interaction of NO with GC-S results in enzyme activation and leads to the conversion of magnesium guanosine 5 -triphosphate to guanosine 3, 5 -monophosphate (cGMP) (Mellion et al, 1981). 

Enzyme activators are substances, often inorganic ions, that are required for certain enzymes to become active as catalysts. Activators can be determined by their effect on the rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. For example, it has been reported that magnesium at concentrations as low as 10 ppb can be determined in blood plasma based on activation by this ion of the enzyme isocitric dehydrogenase. 

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