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It can be a complicated life being an enzyme
K F Tipton1, M I O'Sullivan, G P Davey
1Department of Biochemistry, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland. ktipton@tcd.ie
Biochemical Society Transactions
|May 30, 2003
Summary
Many proteins exhibit dual roles, possessing both enzymatic and non-enzymic functions. Understanding these diverse protein functions is crucial for biological research and database development.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Proteomics
Background:
- Proteins often possess multiple functions beyond their initially identified roles.
- Enzymes can have non-catalytic activities, and non-enzymatic proteins can exhibit catalytic functions.
- This functional pleiotropy complicates biological interpretation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate the diversity of alternative protein functions.
- To explore the implications of multifunctional proteins in biological research.
- To highlight challenges in interpreting genetic and proteomic data due to functional multiplicity.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on protein functional diversity.
- In-depth case study of semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase (EC 1.4.3.6).
- Consideration of challenges in functional protein database development.
Main Results:
- Examples demonstrate proteins with both enzymatic and non-enzymic activities.
- Semicarbazide-sensitive amine oxidase shows signaling and vascular-adhesion functions beyond its detoxifying role.
- Functional multiplicity poses challenges for genetic deletion studies and in vivo inhibition.
Conclusions:
- Proteins frequently exhibit diverse, context-dependent functions.
- Accurate annotation of protein functions is essential for biological databases.
- Further research is needed to fully understand and catalog the pleiotropic roles of proteins.