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Updated: May 25, 2026
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Defining Substrate Specificities for Lipase and Phospholipase Candidates
Published on: November 23, 2016
The functional consequences of relative substrate specificity in complex biochemical systems.
1Department of Pharmacology, Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Frontiers in Genetics
|February 4, 2012
Summary
Molecules like enzymes exhibit relative specificity, interacting with various substrates at different affinities. This differential binding influences biological processes by affecting substrate phenotypes in vivo.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Systems Biology
Background:
- Biochemical activities involve molecules interacting with multiple substrates or partners.
- Relative specificity describes differential affinities of a molecule for its various interactors.
- The functional consequences of enzyme selectivity across an ensemble of substrates are often overlooked.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose and review evidence for the hypothesis that molecules possess relative specificity for their native substrates.
- To explore the in vivo functional consequences of this substrate selectivity on biological processes.
- To establish relative specificity as a potentially universal principle in complex biological systems.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing evidence supporting the hypothesis.
- Large-scale analysis of diverse biochemical systems.
- Examination of specific examples including microRNA processing, transcription factor binding, kinase activity, and RNA-binding proteins.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests molecules exhibit a range of preferences for their substrates, impacting substrate phenotypes.
- Analysis of human microRNA processing, yeast transcription factor Ndt80, Cdk1 kinase, and HuR protein supports the hypothesis.
- Differential affinities and deposition densities correlate with varied biological outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Relative specificity is a fundamental property of molecules in complex biochemical systems.
- This differential substrate interaction shapes biological processes in vivo.
- The hypothesis offers a general principle for understanding biological complexity.
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