The Remarkable Character of Porphobilinogen Synthase.

ABSTRACT: Porphobilinogen synthase (PBGS), also known as 5-aminolevulinate dehydratase, is an essential enzyme in the biosynthesis of all tetrapyrroles, which function in respiration, photosynthesis, and methanogenesis. Throughout evolution, PBGS adapted to a diversity of cellular niches and evolved to use an unusual variety of metal ions both for catalytic function and to control protein multimerization. With regard to the active site, some PBGSs require Zn²⁺; a subset of those, including human PBGS, contain a constellation of cysteine residues that acts as a sink for the environmental toxin Pb²⁺. PBGSs that do not require the soft metal ion Zn²⁺ at the active site instead are suspected of using the hard metal Mg²⁺. The most unexpected property of the PBG

SUBMITTER: Jaffe EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5148690 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature