L-arabinose isomerase explained

L-arabinose isomerase
Ec Number:	5.3.1.4
Cas Number:	9023-80-7
Go Code:	0008733
Width:	270

Symbol:	Arabinose_Isome
Arabinose isomerase
Pfam:	PF02610
Interpro:	IPR003762

In enzymology, a L-arabinose isomerase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

L-arabinose

\rightleftharpoons L-ribulose

Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, L-arabinose, and one product, L-ribulose.

This enzyme belongs to the family of isomerases, specifically those intramolecular oxidoreductases interconverting aldoses and ketoses. The systematic name of this enzyme class is L-arabinose aldose-ketose-isomerase. This enzyme participates in pentose and glucuronate interconversions.

This enzyme catalyses the conversion of L-arabinose to L-ribulose as the first step in the pathway of L-arabinose utilization as a carbon source.^[1]

Structural studies

As of late 2007, two structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes and .

Further reading

• HEATH EC, HORECKER BL, SMYRNIOTIS PZ, TAKAGI Y . 1958 . Pentose fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum. II. L-arabinose isomerase . J. Biol. Chem. . 231 . 1031 - 7 . 13539034 . 2 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)70464-X . free .
• Nakamatu T, Yamanaka K . 1969 . Crystallization and properties of L-arabinose isomerase from Lactobacillus gayonii . Biochim. Biophys. Acta . 178 . 156 - 65 . 5773448 . 1 . 10.1016/0005-2744(69)90142-9.

Notes and References

1. Sa-Nogueira I, Nogueira TV, Soares S, de Lencastre H . The Bacillus subtilis L-arabinose (ara) operon: nucleotide sequence, genetic organization and expression . Microbiology . 143 . 3. 957–69 . March 1997 . 9084180 . 10.1099/00221287-143-3-957. free .