Problem 11
Question
What is the most common type of covalent modification to enzymes?
Step-by-Step Solution
Verified Answer
Answer: Phosphorylation
1Step 1: Understanding enzyme regulation and covalent modifications
Enzyme regulation plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis in living organisms by controlling the rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Covalent modifications refer to the process of adding or removing specific chemical groups on the enzyme to regulate its activity, stability, or function.
2Step 2: Identifying the most common type of covalent modification
Among various covalent modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and glycosylation, phosphorylation is the most common type of covalent modification for enzymes. It involves the addition of a phosphate group (PO_4^{3-}) to specific amino acid residues (mainly serine, threonine, or tyrosine), changing the enzyme's activity, conformation, or localization.
Most common type of covalent modification to enzymes: Phosphorylation
Other exercises in this chapter
Problem 9
What are the three classes of reversible inhibitors? Briefly describe them and their effects on apparent \(K_{\mathrm{m}}\) and \(v_{\max }\)
View solution Problem 10
What is the mechanism of feedback inhibition?
View solution Problem 8
Explain how changes in \(\mathrm{pH}\) can affect enzyme activity.
View solution