How Do You Spell ASPARTATE CARBAMOYLTRANSFERASE?

1. Aspartate carbamoyltransferase, also known as ATCase, is an enzyme that is primarily found in bacteria and plants. It plays a crucial role in the biosynthetic pathway known as the de novo pyrimidine synthesis. ATCase catalyzes the transfer of a carbamoyl group from the amino acid carbamoyl phosphate to aspartate, resulting in the formation of carbamoyl aspartate.

   ATCase is a key regulatory enzyme in the pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway as it controls the rate-limiting step in the formation of cytidine and uridine nucleotides, which are essential components of RNA and DNA. The enzymatic activity of ATCase is subject to feedback regulation by the end products of the pathway, namely CTP (cytidine triphosphate) and UTP (uridine triphosphate). These two nucleotides function as allosteric inhibitors, binding to a separate regulatory subunit of the enzyme and inhibiting ATCase activity.

   Structurally, ATCase is composed of two interconvertible forms: a catalytically active form and a regulatory form. The regulatory form contains additional regulatory subunits that bind CTP and UTP. Binding of these nucleotides induces conformational changes in the enzyme that lead to its inactivation. Conversely, ATP (adenosine triphosphate) acts as an allosteric activator, binding to the enzyme and promoting its transition to the active form.

   Understanding the structure and regulation of aspartate carbamoyltransferase is essential for elucidating the control of de novo pyrimidine synthesis in cells. It has important implications in physiological processes, such as cell division and proliferation, and serves as a potential target for the development of antimicrobial

Common Misspellings for ASPARTATE CARBAMOYLTRANSFERASE

The word "Aspartate Carbamoyltransferase" is a combination of several parts.

1. "Aspartate": It comes from the Latin word "aspartum" which means "sparrow". The name was given to this molecule because it was first isolated from asparagus juice in 1806.

2. "Carbamoyl": It comes from the combining form "carbamo-" meaning "urea" and "yl" which is a suffix used to denote a functional group in organic chemistry. The word "carbamoyl" refers to a functional group containing a carbonyl group bonded to a nitrogen atom.

3. "Transferase": It is derived from the Latin word "trans" meaning "across" or "transfer" and the suffix "-ase" indicating an enzyme.