Transferase
[2] They are involved in hundreds of different biochemical pathways throughout biology, and are integral to some of life's most important processes.
Three examples of these reactions are the activity of coenzyme A (CoA) transferase, which transfers thiol esters,[3] the action of N-acetyltransferase, which is part of the pathway that metabolizes tryptophan,[4] and the regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), which converts pyruvate to acetyl CoA.
In this case, an amino acid chain is the functional group transferred by a peptidyl transferase.
Earliest discoveries of transferase activity occurred in other classifications of enzymes, including beta-galactosidase, protease, and acid/base phosphatase.
[15] Another example of historical significance relating to transferase is the discovery of the mechanism of catecholamine breakdown by catechol-O-methyltransferase.
This discovery was a large part of the reason for Julius Axelrod’s 1970 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (shared with Sir Bernard Katz and Ulf von Euler).
[19] Initially, the exact mechanism of Pipe was unknown, due to a lack of information on its substrate.
[20] Research into Pipe's catalytic activity eliminated the likelihood of it being a heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycan.
This category consists of transfers of methyl, hydroxymethyl, formyl, carboxy, carbamoyl, and amido groups.
[38] As an aminoacyltransferase, it catalyzes the transfer of a peptide to an aminoacyl-tRNA, following this reaction: peptidyl-tRNAA + aminoacyl-tRNAB
Glycosyltransferase is a subcategory of EC 2.4 transferases that is involved in biosynthesis of disaccharides and polysaccharides through transfer of monosaccharides to other molecules.
[45] In the case of aspartate transaminase, which can act on tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan, it reversibly transfers an amino group from one molecule to the other.
[48] Sub-category phosphotransferase is divided up in categories based on the type of group that accepts the transfer.
[64] The full name of A transferase is alpha 1-3-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase[65] and its function in the cell is to add N-acetylgalactosamine to H-antigen, creating A-antigen.
[66]: 55 The full name of B transferase is alpha 1-3-galactosyltransferase,[65] and its function in the cell is to add a galactose molecule to H-antigen, creating B-antigen.
[74] Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency (also known as CPT-II deficiency) leads to an excess long chain fatty acids, as the body lacks the ability to transport fatty acids into the mitochondria to be processed as a fuel source.
[76] This deficiency will present in patients in one of three ways: lethal neonatal, severe infantile hepatocardiomuscular, and myopathic form.
[81] Galactosemia renders infants unable to process the sugars in breast milk, which leads to vomiting and anorexia within days of birth.
[83] Currently, the only available treatment is early diagnosis followed by adherence to a diet devoid of lactose, and prescription of antibiotics for infections that may develop.
[89] Patients with ALS show a marked decrease in ChAT activity in motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain.
[93] Low levels of ChAT activity are an early indication of the disease and are detectable long before motor neurons begin to die.
[89] Recent studies have shown that SIDS infants show decreased levels of ChAT in both the hypothalamus and the striatum.
[89] SIDS infants also display fewer neurons capable of producing ChAT in the vagus system.
[98] These defects in the medulla could lead to an inability to control essential autonomic functions such as the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
[98] CMS is a family of diseases that are characterized by defects in neuromuscular transmission which leads to recurrent bouts of apnea (inability to breathe) that can be fatal.
[103] Glutathione transferases are currently being explored as targets for anti-cancer medications due to their role in drug resistance.
[103] Further, glutathione transferase genes have been investigated due to their ability to prevent oxidative damage and have shown improved resistance in transgenic cultigens.
[105] Efforts are being made to produce transgenic plants capable of synthesizing natural rubber, including tobacco and sunflower.
[106] These efforts are focused on sequencing the subunits of the rubber transferase enzyme complex in order to transfect these genes into other plants.
Some others are multi-span transmembrane proteins, for example certain oligosaccharyltransferases or microsomal glutathione S-transferase from MAPEG family.
