Structural diversity Functional analysis Biosynthesis

Coenzyme A (CoA) is a cofactor that has been estimated to be used by about 4% of all enzymes, although more recent analysis of the BRENDA database (http //www.brenda.uni-koeln.de/) suggests the number may be closer to 9% (1). The biochemical pathways and processes involving CoA thioesters are diverse and widespread, whereas the kinds of reactions involved primarily follow the inherent reactivity of the thioester functionality. This article provides a brief overview of CoA biosynthesis and a summary of the common types of reactions of CoA thioesters. Also presented is a brief introduction to structural studies and a more extensive description of some types of analogs of natural CoA thioesters that have been employed as mechanistic probes for CoA using enzymes. The application of CoA derivatives and CoA biosynthetic enzymes for the tagging of carrier proteins and carrier protein fusions is also described. 

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