48 by: Pujita Shil

Student – Pujita Shil

Enzyme – Maleate Isomerase

E.C. number- 5.2.1.1

Maleate isomerase is commonly found in bacteria like Pseudomonas and Alcaligenes, it plays a role in bacterial metabolic pathways. Maleate isomerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of maleate to fumarate through a cis-trans isomerization of the C2-C3 double bond. This reaction is crucial because fumarate is an important intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which is essential for cellular respiration and energy production.

Maleate isomerase has been explored for industrial uses, such as the degradation of tobacco waste and the production of aspartic acid and maleic acid. The enzyme is composed of two identical protomers, each contributing a catalytic cysteine crucial for its activity.

References

Benson, D. A., Karsch-Mizrachi, I., Lipman, D. J., Ostell, J., & Sayers, E. W. (2010). GenBank. Nucleic Acids Research, 39(Database), D32–D37. https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkq1079

Information on EC 5.2.1.1 – maleate isomerase – BRENDA Enzyme Database. (n.d.). https://www.brenda-enzymes.org/enzyme.php?ecno=5.2.1.1

Pollard, W. (2022, October 31). What is the function of maleate isomerase? – Promisekit.org. https://promisekit.org/2022/10/31/what-is-the-function-of-maleate-isomerase/