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 undecaprenyl-diphosphatase () 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 ...

:undecaprenyl diphosphate + H₂O

\rightleftharpoons

undecaprenyl phosphate + phosphate Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are undecaprenyl diphosphate and H₂O, 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 undecaprenyl phosphate and

phosphate In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid . The phosphate or orthophosphate ion is derived from phospho ...

. The enzymatic activity is enhanced by divalent cations, particularly Ca²⁺. In many bacteria, this enzyme is a

membrane protein Membrane proteins are common proteins that are part of, or interact with, biological membranes. Membrane proteins fall into several broad categories depending on their location. Integral membrane proteins are a permanent part of a cell membrane ...

that participates in

peptidoglycan biosynthesis Peptidoglycan or murein is a unique large macromolecule, a polysaccharide, consisting of sugars and amino acids that forms a mesh-like peptidoglycan layer outside the plasma membrane, the rigid cell wall (murein sacculus) characteristic of most ...

. The enzyme has been implicated in conferring resistance to the antibiotic

bacitracin Bacitracin is a polypeptide antibiotic. It is a mixture of related cyclic peptides produced by ''Bacillus licheniformis'' bacteria, that was first isolated from the variety "Tracy I" ( ATCC 10716) in 1945. These peptides disrupt Gram-positive bac ...

Nomenclature

This enzyme belongs to the family of

hydrolase Hydrolase is a class of enzyme that commonly perform as biochemical catalysts that use water to break a chemical bond, which typically results in dividing a larger molecule into smaller molecules. Some common examples of hydrolase enzymes are este ...

s, specifically those acting on acid anhydrides in phosphorus-containing anhydrides. 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 undecaprenyl-diphosphate phosphohydrolase. Other names in common use include Undecaprenyl-pyrophosphate phosphatase (Uppp), UPP phosphatase, BacA, C55-isoprenyl diphosphatase, C55-isoprenyl pyrophosphatase, and isoprenyl pyrophosphatase. Note: The enzyme Uppp/BacA (EC 3.6.1.27) has occasionally been incorrectly termed an " undecaprenol kinase". However, that name should be reserved for a distinct enzyme (EC 2.7.1.66), which catalyses the addition of a phosphate group from ATP to undecaprenol (C55-isoprenyl alcohol).

Structure

X-ray crystal structures of the membrane-form of the enzyme from ''

E. coli ''Escherichia coli'' (),Wells, J. C. (2000) Longman Pronunciation Dictionary. Harlow ngland Pearson Education Ltd. also known as ''E. coli'' (), is a Gram-negative, facultative anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus ''Escher ...

'' are available (PDB IDs: 5OON, 6CB2).

Nomenclature

Structure

References

Further reading