In
enzymology
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
, an arginine deiminase () is an
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
that
catalyzes
Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
the
chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the IUPAC nomenclature for organic transformations, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the pos ...
:
L-arginine + H
2O
L-citrulline + NH
3
Thus, the two
substrates of this enzyme are
L-arginine and
H2O, whereas its two
products are
L-citrulline and
NH3.
This enzyme belongs to the family of
hydrolases, those acting on carbon-nitrogen bonds other than peptide bonds, specifically in linear amidines. The
systematic name of this enzyme class is L-arginine iminohydrolase. Other names in common use include arginine dihydrolase, citrulline iminase, and L-arginine deiminase. This enzyme participates in
arginine and proline metabolism Arginine and proline metabolism is one of the central pathways for the biosynthesis of the amino acids arginine and proline from glutamate. The pathways linking arginine, glutamate, and proline are bidirectional. Thus, the net utilization or product ...
. This enzyme is widely expressed in bacteria, including
streptococcus and
actinomyces. The bacterial arginine deiminase expression could be regulated by various environmental factors.
Recently, a new
enzyme
Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...
that
catalyzes
Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...
the
chemical reaction
A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the IUPAC nomenclature for organic transformations, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the pos ...
:
L-arginine + 2H
2O
L-ornithine + 2NH
3 + CO
2 was identified in
cyanobacteria
Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...
which should be named as
arginine dihydrolase
In enzymology, an arginine deiminase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction
:L-arginine + H2O \rightleftharpoons L-citrulline + NH3
Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are L-arginine and H2O, whereas its two products are L ...
.
Structural studies
As of late 2007, 7
structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with
PDB accession codes , , , , , , and .
References
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EC 3.5.3
Enzymes of known structure
{{3.5-enzyme-stub