Mesaconate hydratase

This enzyme [EC 4.2.1.34], also known as mesaconase and mesaconate hydratase, catalyzes the conversion of (5 )-2-methylmalate to 2-methylfumarate and water. The enzyme will also catalyze the hydration of fumarate to (5 )-malate. 

S. Except for oxido-reductases, transferases, and hydrolases, most ligases (enzymes that catalyze bond formation) are entirely substrate specific. Thus, fumarate hydratase (or fumarase) reversibly and stereospecifically adds water to fumaric acid to produce (S)-( — )-malic acid only (8) (Figure 1), and another enzyme, mesaconase, adds water to mesaconic acid to form (+ )-citramalic acid (9) (Figure 2). Although no extensive studies are available, it appears that neither fumarase nor mesaconase will add water stereospecifically to any other a,(3-unsaturated acid. 

Fig. 25-15). In every case it is NH3 or an amine, rather than an OH group, that is eliminated. However, the mechanisms probably resemble that of fumarate hydratase. Sequence analysis indicated that all of these enzymes belong to a single fumarase-aspartase family.64 65 The three-dimensional structure of aspartate ammonia-lyase resembles that of fumarate hydratase, but the catalytic site lacks the essential HI 88 of fumarate hydratase. However, the pKa values deduced from the pH dependence of Vmax are similar to those for fumarase.64 3-Methylaspartate lyase catalyzes the same kind of reaction to produce ammonia plus czs-mesaconate.63 Its sequence is not related to that of fumarase and it may contain a dehydroalanine residue (Chapter 14).66... 

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