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 ...

, a cysteine synthase () 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 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 ...

:''O''³-acetyl-L-serine + hydrogen sulfide

\rightleftharpoons

L-cysteine + acetate Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are ''O''³-acetyl-L-serine and

hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. The unde ...

, whereas its two

products Product may refer to: Business * Product (business), an item that serves as a solution to a specific consumer problem. * Product (project management), a deliverable or set of deliverables that contribute to a business solution Mathematics * Produ ...

are L-cysteine and

acetate An acetate is a salt (chemistry), salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. Alkali metal, alkaline, Alkaline earth metal, earthy, Transition metal, metallic, nonmetallic or radical Radical (chemistry), base). "Acetate" als ...

. This enzyme belongs to the family of

transferase A transferase is any one of a class of enzymes that catalyse the transfer of specific functional groups (e.g. a methyl or glycosyl group) from one molecule (called the donor) to another (called the acceptor). They are involved in hundreds of di ...

s, specifically those transferring aryl or alkyl groups other than methyl groups. The

systematic name A systematic name is a name given in a systematic way to one unique group, organism, object or chemical substance, out of a specific population or collection. Systematic names are usually part of a nomenclature. A semisystematic name or semitrivial ...

of this enzyme class is O3-acetyl-L-serine:hydrogen-sulfide 2-amino-2-carboxyethyltransferase. Other names in common use include O-acetyl-L-serine sulfhydrylase, O-acetyl-L-serine sulfohydrolase, O-acetylserine (thiol)-lyase, O-acetylserine (thiol)-lyase A, O-acetylserine sulfhydrylase, O3-acetyl-L-serine acetate-lyase (adding hydrogen-sulfide), acetylserine sulfhydrylase, cysteine synthetase, S-sulfocysteine synthase, 3-O-acetyl-L-serine:hydrogen-sulfide, and 2-amino-2-carboxyethyltransferase. This enzyme participates in 3

metabolic pathways In biochemistry, a metabolic pathway is a linked series of chemical reactions occurring within a cell. The reactants, products, and intermediates of an enzymatic reaction are known as metabolites, which are modified by a sequence of chemical reac ...

cysteine metabolism Cysteine metabolism refers to the biological pathways that consume or create cysteine. The pathways of different amino acids and other metabolites interweave and overlap to creating complex systems.cysteine is metabolism creating complex systems ...

, selenoamino acid metabolism, and

sulfur metabolism Sulfur is metabolism, metabolized by all organisms, from bacteria and archaea to plants and animals. Sulfur is redox, reduced or redox, oxidized by organisms in a variety of forms. The chemical element, element is present in proteins, organosulfate ...

. It employs one cofactor,

pyridoxal phosphate Pyridoxal phosphate (PLP, pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, P5P), the active form of vitamin B6, is a coenzyme in a variety of enzymatic reactions. The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology has catalogued more than 140 PLP-dependent ac ...

Structural studies

As of late 2007, 12

structures A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...

have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes , , , , , , , , , , , and .

References

* * * * * * EC 2.5.1 Pyridoxal phosphate enzymes Enzymes of known structure {{2.5-enzyme-stub