Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.1.27.4 (ribonuclease)
 6,621 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A cell-free extract of the anaerobic eubacterium, Clostridium thermoaceticum, catalyzes the synthesis of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) from glutamate via the C5 pathway. The enzyme reaction resembles that of higher plants and algae in cofactor requirements and sensitivity to ribonuclease. From the phylogenetic distribution it is proposed that the C5 pathway evolved earlier than the ALA synthase pathway.
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PMID:5-Aminolevulinic acid formation from glutamate via the C5 pathway in Clostridium thermoaceticum. 334 79

The nucleotide sequences of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides hemA and hemT genes, encoding 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthase isozymes, were determined. ALA synthase catalyzes the condensation of glycine and succinyl coenzyme A, the first and rate-limiting step in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. The hemA and hemT structural gene sequences were 65% identical to each other, and the deduced HemA and HemT polypeptide sequences were 53% identical, with an additional 16% of aligned amino acids being similar. HemA and HemT were homologous to all characterized ALA synthases, including two human ALA synthase isozymes. In addition, they were evolutionarily related to 7-keto-8-aminopelargonic acid synthetase (BioF) and 2-amino-3-ketobutyrate coenzyme A ligase (Kbl), enzymes which catalyze similar reactions. Two hemA transcripts were identified, both expressed under photosynthetic conditions at levels approximately three times higher than those found under aerobic conditions. A single transcriptional start point was identified for both transcripts, and a consensus sequence at this location indicated that an Fnr-like protein may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of hemA. Transcription of hemT was not detected in wild-type cells under the physiological growth conditions tested. In a mutant strain in which the hemA gene had been inactivated, however, hemT was expressed. In this mutant, hemT transcripts were characterized by Northern (RNA) hybridization, primer extension, and ribonuclease protection techniques. A small open reading frame of unknown function was identified upstream of, and transcribed in the same direction as, hemA.
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PMID:Expression of the Rhodobacter sphaeroides hemA and hemT genes, encoding two 5-aminolevulinic acid synthase isozymes. 846 90

The initial step of the heme biosynthetic pathway in erythroid cells is catalyzed by an erythroid-specific isoform of 5-aminolevulinate synthase-2 (ALAS2). Previously, an alternatively spliced mRNA isoform of ALAS2 was identified although the functional significance of the encoded protein was unknown. We sought to characterize the contribution of this ALAS2 isoform to overall erythroid heme biosynthesis. Here, we report the identification of three novel ALAS2 mRNA splice isoforms in addition to the previously described isoform lacking exon 4-derived sequence. Quantitation of these mRNAs using ribonuclease protection experiments revealed that the isoform without exon 4-derived sequence represents approximately 35-45% of total ALAS2 mRNA while the newly identified transcripts together represent approximately 15%. Despite the significant amounts of these three new transcripts, their features indicate that they are unlikely to substantially contribute to overall mitochondrial ALAS2 activity. In contrast, in vitro studies show that the major splice variant (lacking exon 4-encoded sequence) produces a functional enzyme, albeit with slightly reduced activity and with affinity for the ATP-specific, beta subunit of succinyl CoA synthase, comparable to that of mature ALAS2. It was also established that the first 49 amino acids of the ALAS2 pre-protein are necessary and sufficient for translocation across the mitochondrial inner membrane and that this process is not affected by the absence of exon 4-encoded sequence. We conclude that the major splice isoform of ALAS2 is functional in vivo and could significantly contribute to erythroid heme biosynthesis and hemoglobin formation.
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PMID:The major splice variant of human 5-aminolevulinate synthase-2 contributes significantly to erythroid heme biosynthesis. 1464 93