Cyanophycin synthase (L-aspartate-adding) explained

Cyanophycin synthase (L-aspartate-adding)
Ec Number:	6.3.2.29
Cas Number:	131554-17-1

Organism:	Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Symbol:	cphA
Uniprot:	P73833

Cyanophycin synthase (L-aspartate-adding) (CphA, CphA1, CphA2, cyanophycin synthetase, multi-L-arginyl-poly-L-aspartate synthase) is an enzyme with systematic name cyanophycin:L-aspartate ligase (ADP-forming).^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]} This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction

ATP + [L-Asp(4-L-Arg)]n + L-Asp

\rightleftharpoons ADP + phosphate + [L-Asp(4-L-Arg)]n-L-Asp

This enzyme requires Mg²⁺ for activity. All enzymes known to have this activity also catalyze the addition of arginine, i.e. cyanophycin synthase (L-arginine-adding) activity. It is structurally similar to Muramyl ligases.

Notes and References

1. Aboulmagd E, Oppermann-Sanio FB, Steinbüchel A . Molecular characterization of the cyanophycin synthetase from Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6308 . Archives of Microbiology . 174 . 5 . 297–306 . November 2000 . 11131019 . 10.1007/s002030000206 .
2. Aboulmagd E, Oppermann-Sanio FB, Steinbüchel A . Purification of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC6308 cyanophycin synthetase and its characterization with respect to substrate and primer specificity . Applied and Environmental Microbiology . 67 . 5 . 2176–82 . May 2001 . 11319097 . 92852 . 10.1128/AEM.67.5.2176-2182.2001 .
3. Allen MM, Hutchison F, Weathers PJ . Cyanophycin granule polypeptide formation and degradation in the cyanobacterium Aphanocapsa 6308 . Journal of Bacteriology . 141 . 2 . 687–93 . February 1980 . 6767688 . 293676 .
4. Berg H, Ziegler K, Piotukh K, Baier K, Lockau W, Volkmer-Engert R . Biosynthesis of the cyanobacterial reserve polymer multi-L-arginyl-poly-L-aspartic acid (cyanophycin): mechanism of the cyanophycin synthetase reaction studied with synthetic primers . European Journal of Biochemistry . 267 . 17 . 5561–70 . September 2000 . 10951215 . 10.1046/j.1432-1327.2000.01622.x . free .
5. Ziegler K, Deutzmann R, Lockau W . Cyanophycin synthetase-like enzymes of non-cyanobacterial eubacteria: characterization of the polymer produced by a recombinant synthetase of Desulfitobacterium hafniense . Zeitschrift für Naturforschung C . 57 . 5-6 . 522–9 . 2002 . 12132696 . 10.1515/znc-2002-5-621 . free .
6. Ziegler K, Diener A, Herpin C, Richter R, Deutzmann R, Lockau W . Molecular characterization of cyanophycin synthetase, the enzyme catalyzing the biosynthesis of the cyanobacterial reserve material multi-L-arginyl-poly-L-aspartate (cyanophycin) . European Journal of Biochemistry . 254 . 1 . 154–9 . May 1998 . 9652408 . 10.1046/j.1432-1327.1998.2540154.x . free .