摘要:

AbstractOne observes regulation at every biological level. Organisms, cells, and biochemical processes operate efficiently, normally wasting neither material nor energy, and adjusting their functions to external influences. Nature evidently has evolved mechanisms specifically dedicated to regulation at many levels. What is the molecular basis of this control?In the 1950s these molecular control mechanisms began to be explored seriously. The discoveries of feedback inhibition of enzyme activity were important because they gave an initial example of how regulation is achieved at the molecular level. We showed that certain enzymes are composed of two parts, one for catalysis and another distinct part present only to regulate this catalysis. Catalytic activity can be either stimulated or inhibited when a small molecule in the environment combines with the enzyme's regulatory site. In particular, a final product of a metabolic pathway generates a feedback loop which automatically limits its own excessive production, by combining with the regulatory site of an early enzyme in that pathway. Later studies showed that catalytic and regulatory structures of some enzymes could be separated physically.The discovery of regulatory sites and their interaction with molecules unrelated to their substrates was the basis for the generalized allosteric concept. This concept extends the regulatory site idea to a wide variety of processes such as control of gene expression, hormone action, and cellular growth.

ISSN:0265-9247    

DOI:10.1002/bies.950020112

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0265-9247    

DOI:10.1002/bies.950020113

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0265-9247    

DOI:10.1002/bies.950020115

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0265-9247    

DOI:10.1002/bies.950020117

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY

ISSN:0265-9247    

DOI:10.1002/bies.950020101

出版商:Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company    

年代:1985

数据来源: WILEY