4-Oxalocrotonate tautomerase
Encyclopedia
4-Oxalocrotonate tautomerase (EC 5.3.2.-4-OT) is an enzyme that converts 2-hydroxymuconate to the αβ-unsaturated ketone, 2-oxo-3-hexenedioate. This enzyme forms part of a bacteria
l metabolic pathway that oxidatively catabolizes
toluene
, o-xylene
, 3-ethyltoluene, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene into intermediates of the citric acid cycle
. With a monomer size of just 62 amino acid residues, the 4-Oxalocrotonate tautomerase is one of the smallest enzyme subunits known. However, in solution, the enzyme forms a hexamer of six identical subunits, so the active site may be formed by amino acid residues from several subunits. This enzyme is also unusual in that it uses a proline residue at the amino terminus as an active site residue.
Bacteria
Bacteria are a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria have a wide range of shapes, ranging from spheres to rods and spirals...
l metabolic pathway that oxidatively catabolizes
Catabolism
Catabolism is the set of metabolic pathways that break down molecules into smaller units and release energy. In catabolism, large molecules such as polysaccharides, lipids, nucleic acids and proteins are broken down into smaller units such as monosaccharides, fatty acids, nucleotides, and amino...
toluene
Toluene
Toluene, formerly known as toluol, is a clear, water-insoluble liquid with the typical smell of paint thinners. It is a mono-substituted benzene derivative, i.e., one in which a single hydrogen atom from the benzene molecule has been replaced by a univalent group, in this case CH3.It is an aromatic...
, o-xylene
Xylene
Xylene encompasses three isomers of dimethylbenzene. The isomers are distinguished by the designations ortho- , meta- , and para- , which specify to which carbon atoms the two methyl groups are attached...
, 3-ethyltoluene, and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene into intermediates of the citric acid cycle
Citric acid cycle
The citric acid cycle — also known as the tricarboxylic acid cycle , the Krebs cycle, or the Szent-Györgyi-Krebs cycle — is a series of chemical reactions which is used by all aerobic living organisms to generate energy through the oxidization of acetate derived from carbohydrates, fats and...
. With a monomer size of just 62 amino acid residues, the 4-Oxalocrotonate tautomerase is one of the smallest enzyme subunits known. However, in solution, the enzyme forms a hexamer of six identical subunits, so the active site may be formed by amino acid residues from several subunits. This enzyme is also unusual in that it uses a proline residue at the amino terminus as an active site residue.