Threonine ammonia-lyase
| L-threonine ammonia-lyase | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A 3d cartoon depiction of the threonine deaminase tetramer | |||||||||
| Identifiers | |||||||||
| EC no. | 4.3.1.19 | ||||||||
| Databases | |||||||||
| IntEnz | IntEnz view | ||||||||
| BRENDA | BRENDA entry | ||||||||
| ExPASy | NiceZyme view | ||||||||
| KEGG | KEGG entry | ||||||||
| MetaCyc | metabolic pathway | ||||||||
| PRIAM | profile | ||||||||
| PDB structures | RCSB PDB PDBe PDBsum | ||||||||
| Gene Ontology | AmiGO / QuickGO | ||||||||
| |||||||||
Threonine ammonia-lyase (EC 4.3.1.19, systematic name L-threonine ammonia-lyase (2-oxobutanoate-forming), also commonly referred to as threonine deaminase or threonine dehydratase, is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the conversion of L-threonine into α-ketobutyrate and ammonia:
- L-threonine = 2-oxobutanoate + NH3 (overall reaction)
- (1a) L-threonine = 2-aminobut-2-enoate + H2O
- (1b) 2-aminobut-2-enoate = 2-iminobutanoate (spontaneous)
- (1c) 2-iminobutanoate + H2O = 2-oxobutanoate + NH3 (spontaneous)
α-Ketobutyrate can be converted into L-isoleucine, so threonine ammonia-lyase functions as a key enzyme in BCAA synthesis. It employs a pyridoxal-5'-phosphate cofactor, similar to many enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism. It is found in bacteria, yeast, and plants, though most research to date has focused on forms of the enzyme in bacteria. This enzyme was one of the first in which negative feedback inhibition by the end product of a metabolic pathway was directly observed and studied. The enzyme serves as an excellent example of the regulatory strategies used in amino acid homeostasis.