Tryptophan synthase or tryptophan synthetase is an enzyme (EC4.2.1.20) that catalyzes the final two steps in the biosynthesis of tryptophan.[1][2] It is commonly found in Eubacteria,[3]Archaebacteria,[4]Protista,[5]Fungi,[6] and Plantae.[7] However, it is absent from Animalia.[8] It is typically found as an α2β2 tetramer.[9][10] The α subunits catalyze the reversible formation of indole and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) from indole-3-glycerol phosphate (IGP). The β subunits catalyze the irreversible condensation of indole and serine to form tryptophan in a pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) dependent reaction. Each α active site is connected to a β active site by a 25 Ångstrom long hydrophobic channel contained within the enzyme. This facilitates the diffusion of indole formed at α active sites directly to β active sites in a process known as substrate channeling.[11] The active sites of tryptophan synthase are allosterically coupled.[12]
^Dunn MF, Niks D, Ngo H, Barends TR, Schlichting I (June 2008). "Tryptophan synthase: the workings of a channeling nanomachine". Trends in Biochemical Sciences. 33 (6): 254–64. doi:10.1016/j.tibs.2008.04.008. PMID18486479.
^Miles EW (1991). "Structural basis for catalysis by tryptophan synthase". Advances in Enzymology and Related Areas of Molecular Biology. Advances in Enzymology and Related Areas of Molecular Biology. Vol. 64. pp. 93–172. doi:10.1002/9780470123102.ch3. ISBN9780470123102. PMID2053470.
^Lazcano A, Diaz-Villgomez E, Mills T, Oro J (March 1995). "On the levels of enzymatic substrate specificity: Implications for the early evolution of metabolic pathways". Advances in Space Research. 15 (3): 345–56. doi:10.1016/S0273-1177(99)80106-9. PMID11539248.
^Anderson I, Watkins R, Samuelson J, Spencer D, Majoros W, Grey M, Loftus B (August 2005). "Gene Discovery in the Acanthamoeba castellanii Genome". Protist. 156 (2): 203–14. doi:10.1016/j.protis.2005.04.001. PMID16171187.
^Ireland C, Peekhaus N, Lu P, Sangari R, Zhang A, Masurekar P, An Z (April 2008). "The tryptophan synthetase gene TRP1 of Nodulisporium sp.: molecular characterization and its relation to nodulisporic acid A production". Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 79 (3): 451–9. doi:10.1007/s00253-008-1440-3. PMID18389234. S2CID7230896.
^Sanjaya, Hsiao PY, Su RC, Ko SS, Tong CG, Yang RY, Chan MT (April 2008). "Overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana tryptophan synthase beta 1 (AtTSB1) in Arabidopsis and tomato confers tolerance to cadmium stress". Plant Cell Environ. 31 (8): 1074–85. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3040.2008.01819.x. PMID18419734.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^Eckert SC, Kubler E, Hoffmann B, Braus GH (June 2000). "The tryptophan synthase-encoding trpB gene of Aspergillus nidulans is regulated by the cross-pathway control system". Mol Gen Genet. 263 (5): 867–76. doi:10.1007/s004380000250. PMID10905354. S2CID22836208.