ENZYMES AND VITAMINS

Two topics constitute the subject matter for this chapter: enzymes and vitamins.
Most enzymes are specialized proteins that function as biochemical catalyst.
Vitamins are dietary organic compounds required in very small quantities for normal
cellular function.
Many enzymes have vitamins as part of their structures, the presence of which is an
absolute necessity for the enzyme to carry out their catalytic function.

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ENZYMES

An enzyme is a compound, usually a protein, that acts as a catalyst for biochemical
reaction.
Enzymes cause cellular reactions to occur millions of times faster than corresponding
uncatalyzed reactions. As catalysts, enzymes are not consume during reaction but
merely help the reaction to occur more rapidly.
Enzyme comes from Greek word en, which means “in”, and zyme, which means yeast.
Most enzymes are globular proteins.
Simple proteins – consisting entirely of amino acid chains.
Conjugated proteins – consisting additional components.

Until 1980s, it was thought that all enzymes were proteins. Some enzymes are known
now that are made of ribonucleic acid.
Enzymes undergo all the reactions of proteins, including denaturization.
Enzymes differ from nonbiochemical (laboratory) catalysts.
1. Size
2. Activity
- Enzymes are usually regulated by other substance present in the cell in which
they are found.
- Lab catalysts need to be removed from a reaction mixture to stop their catalytic
action; this is not so with enzymes.
ENZYME STRUCTURE
Enzyme can be divided into two general structural classes:
1. Simple enzymes – an enzyme composed only of protein (amino acid chains).
2. Conjugated enzyme – an enzyme that has a nonprotein part in addition to protein part
- neither the protein part nor the nonprotein portion of conjugated enzyme has
catalytic properties.
apoenzyme + cofactor = holoenzyme
Apoenzyme – the protein part of a conjugated enzyme
Cofactor – the nonprotein part of a conjugated enzyme
Holoenzyme – a term often used to designate a biologically active combined
apoenzyme-cofactor entity. It is the biochemically active conjugated enzyme produced
from an apoenzyme and a cofactor.

Why do apoenzymes need cofactors?

Cofactor provide additional chemically reactive functional groups besides those present
in the amino acid side chains of apoenzymes.
2 broad categories of cofactors:
1. simple metal ions – must be supplied to the human body through dietary mineral
intake.
2. small organic molecules – also called coenzyme. Coenzyme is a small organic
molecule that serves as a cofactor in a conjugated enzyme.
- synthesized within the human body using building blocks obtained from
other nutrients. Most often, one of these building blocks is a vitamin or B vitamin
derivative.
Cofactors can be permanently bonded or binds temporarily to the amino acid portion of
enzyme.
- Metal ions and many, but not all, coenzymes are permanently attached parts of
enzymes. (e.g. coenzyme FAD)
- Sometimes a coenzyme temporarily binds to the amino acid portion of an
enzyme at the time it is needed and then it is released after the reaction has
occurred. (e.g. coenzyme NAD+)