History of Enzymes

Enzymes

Enzymes are protein molecules that accelerate biochemical reactions and act as biological catalysts. Enzymes Speed up biochemical reactions without consuming themselves. All metabolic processes inside living organisms depend upon enzymes, without enzymes, these processes become too slow to sustain life. The study of enzymes is called enzymology. Enzymes are macromolecules mostly proteins and some are catalytic RNA molecules called ribozymes. They are specific in their actions they work at their maximum rate at optimum pH and temperature. Enzymes’ specificity is due to their three-dimensional structures. Enzymes lower the activation energy ( the minimum energy necessary to begin any biochemical reactions ) of any chemical reaction required to start any process in our body.

Enzymes bind to their specific substrate molecule and from the enzymes-substrate complex. Enzymes transform substrate into product and are ready to reuse themselves for the next process. Any enzyme can be used many times, without enzymes reactions take millions of years to occur.

Like all catalysts, enzymes are not consumed in chemical reactions and do not alter the reaction equilibrium. However, enzymes differ from most other catalysts due to their high specificity. Enzyme activity can be affected by many molecules: inhibitors (that block the active site of enzymes) decrease enzyme activity, while activators ( that speed up reactions) increase it. Many therapeutic drugs and poisons function as enzyme inhibitors. An enzyme’s activity significantly declines outside its optimal temperature and pH range, and excessive heat can irreversibly denature enzymes, leading to loss of globular structure and catalytic properties.

Commercially, enzymes are used in the preparations of antibiotics and in household products like biological laundry powders, where they hydrolyze protein, starch, or fat stains on clothing.

History of Enzymes

French chemist Anselme Payen in 1833 discovered the first enzyme, diastase. Later, Louis Pasteur’s studies on yeast fermentation led him to conclude that “ferments” within yeast cells, which he believed operated only within living organisms, were responsible for converting sugar to alcohol.

 In 1877 German life scientist Wilhelm Kühne  (1837–1900) defined the term enzyme, a Greek word that means (in-living). The word enzyme was used later to describe nonliving substances such as pepsin, and the word ferment was used to refer to chemical activity produced by living organisms.

Eduard Buchner 1897 submitted his paper on the study of yeast extracts stating that yeast extract non-living fungi convert sugars into alcohol. They state that biochemical processes do not require living cells only, but are required enzymes, formed in cells. He named the protein which plays a role in this fermentation “zymase”. In 1907, on his discovery of “non-cellular fermentation,” he received the honor of chemistry.

In 1926, James B. Sumner demonstrated that enzymes are pure macromolecules by successfully crystallizing the enzyme urease, and he achieved similar results with another 1877 enzyme in 1937. This groundbreaking work established that pure proteins can function as enzymes.

The definitive proof came from the biochemists John Howard Northrop and Wendell Meredith Stanley, who conducted significant research on digestive enzymes such as pepsin in 1930, as well as trypsin and chymotrypsin. In recognition of their contributions, these three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1946.

Who is the father of enzymology?

It is believed enzymology was discovered by Buchner In 1887. He stated that enzymes can be separated from broken living cells in their active state and can be used.

Who gave the name enzyme?

A German physiologist in 1877  Wilhelm Kühne first used the term “enzyme” which is a Greek word meaning (En_in and zyme- leaven). Enzymes are proteins in nature and act as catalysts to speed up biochemical reactions.

What is the main source of enzymes?

Enzymes come from three main sources

• Plants.
• Animals.
• Microorganisms.

WHO classified enzymes?

The International Union of Biochemistry (IUB) classified enzymes into Six classes according to the basis of reactions in which they are involved, they give the EC (enzyme commission) number. The EC number consists of 4 digits “a” represents class “b” represents subclass, “c” represents sub-subclass, and “d” sub-sub-subclass.. these classes are

• Oxidoreductase
• Transferases
• hydrolase
• lyases
• Isomerases
• Ligases

How are enzymes classified and named first?

Enzymes were named adding suffix-ase to the substrate on which they act. For Example, the sucrase enzyme catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose into fructose and glucose and lactase hydrolyzes lactose (milk sugar) into simple sugar molecules.

What is an interesting fact about enzymes?

They are found in saliva, pancreas, and small intestine. They are used in industries like the food industry, paper industry, pharmaceutical industry detergents, etc.

What is the unique property of an enzyme?

All enzymes possess active sites that participate in chemical reactions, the substrate binds to the active site and forms an enzyme-substrate complex the substrate converts into a product and the enzyme remains unused for the next reaction.

Do enzymes have unique shapes?

Enzymes are proteins made up of amino acid chains twisting and folding that’s why enzymes have unique shapes due to amino acids these amino acids are held together through weak forces among among amino acids.