Tetrahydrofolate synthase explained

Tetrahydrofolylpolyglutamate synthase
Ec Number:	6.3.2.17
Cas Number:	63363-84-8
Go Code:	0004326

In enzymology, a tetrahydrofolate synthase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

ATP + tetrahydropteroyl-[gamma-Glu]n + L-glutamate

\rightleftharpoons ADP + phosphate + tetrahydropteroyl-[gamma-Glu]n⁺1

The 3 substrates of this enzyme are ATP, tetrahydropteroyl-[gamma-Glu]n, and L-glutamate, whereas its 3 products are ADP, phosphate, and tetrahydropteroyl-[gamma-Glu]n+1.

This enzyme belongs to the family of ligases, specifically those forming carbon-nitrogen bonds as acid-D-amino-acid ligases (peptide synthases). The systematic name of this enzyme class is tetrahydropteroyl-gamma-polyglutamate:L-glutamate gamma-ligase (ADP-forming). This enzyme participates in folate biosynthesis.

Structural studies

As of late 2007, 7 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes,,,,,, and .

References

• Cichowicz DJ, Foo SK, Shane B . 1981 . Folylpoly-gamma-glutamate synthesis by bacteria and mammalian cells . Mol. Cell. Biochem. . 39 . 209 - 28 . 6458762 . 10.1007/BF00232575 . 43985411 .
• McGuire JJ, Bertino JR . 1981 . Enzymatic synthesis and function of folylpolyglutamates . Mol. Cell. Biochem. . 38. 19 - 48 . 7027025 . Pt 1 . 10.1007/BF00235686 . 9149947 .
• Bognar AL, Osborne C, Shane B, Singer SC, Ferone R . 1985 . Folylpoly-gamma-glutamate synthetase-dihydrofolate synthetase Cloning and high expression of the Escherichia coli folC gene and purification and properties of the gene product . J. Biol. Chem. . 260 . 5625 - 30 . 2985605 . 9 . 10.1016/S0021-9258(18)89069-X . free .
• R Rebeille F . 2001 . Tetrahydrofolate biosynthesis in plants: molecular and functional characterization of dihydrofolate synthetase and three isoforms of folylpolyglutamate synthetase in Arabidopsis thaliana . Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. . 98 . 15360 - 5 . 11752472 . 10.1073/pnas.261585098 . Cherest . H . Jabrin . S . Grunwald . D . Surdin-Kerjan . Y . Douce . R . Rébeillé . F . 26 . 65034 . 2001PNAS...9815360R . free .
• Cossins EA, Chen L . 1997 . Folates and one-carbon metabolism in plants and fungi . . 45 . 437 - 52 . 9190084 . 10.1016/S0031-9422(96)00833-3 . 3 . 1997PChem..45..437C .
• Cherest H, Thomas D, Surdin-Kerjan Y . 2000 . Polyglutamylation of folate coenzymes is necessary for methionine biosynthesis and maintenance of intact mitochondrial genome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae . J. Biol. Chem. . 275 . 14056 - 63 . 10799479 . 10.1074/jbc.275.19.14056 . 19 . free .