Pantothenic acid deficiency protein synthesis

Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) is both present in many nutrientcients and it is also produced by intestinal bacteria. Deficiency is therefore thought to be unlikely. Its active form, 4-phosphopantetheine, is an element of both coenzyme-A and acyl-carrier protein and thus participates in fatty acid synthesis and in the posttranslational modification of proteins. Acetylcoenzyme-A is important for the synthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. 

Metabolic Control of CoA Synthesis Pantothenate kinase is rate-Umiting for the synthesis of CoA, and both regulation of the activity of the existing enzyme protein and changes in its synthesis are important in the control of intracellular concentrations of CoA (Rock et al., 2000). The enzyme has a low Km compared with the normal intracellular concentration of pantothenic acid and is thus insensitive to the availability of substrate, even in deficiency. 

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