Investigation of Enzyme Activity - Essay Example

Investigation of Enzyme Activity Introduction In this paper the studies relating enzyme activity are considered. Different contexts regarding the activity of enzymes in pathogens, muscles and those affecting the critically ill patients are discussed from the findings of different studies. The enzyme activities that enhance muscle activities help in existence of pathogens and production and destruction of free radicals are discussed. The study of the activities of enzymes that help in existence of pathogens can help in developing the drugs, which decrease that activity and thus play an active role in preventing the pathogenical activities. The enzyme activities that play a major role in conversion of muscle from one form to other can be used in developing methods to restore muscle activity as the age increases in human beings and even in animals. This helps in enhancing the lively activities of the living beings. The free radical formation is an important cause in causing and increasing a disease. The enzymes that act as scavengers and remove ROS can help in preventive methods of some critical diseases. Investigation The investigations regarding the enzymes that are critical for the bacterial existence provide information about physiology of microbes. The understanding of cell metabolism, evolution of bacteria and the interactions between bacterium and host can be enhanced. With this information it is possible to explain the mechanisms that regulate the organism and to find out the proteins that are necessary of existence of the cell. Helicobacter pylori bacterium is an important human pathogen and the enzyme of interest is a key regulatory step in bacterial de novo pyrimidine nucleotide metabolism. Consequently, an in-depth understanding of the enzyme activity and regulation in situ would serve toward more rational design of therapeutic agents.1 The methods that can be employed in study of Carbamoyl aspartate are Nuclear magnetic resonance method, radioactive tracer analysis, and spectrophotometry. According to Brendan Burns, George Mendz and Stuart Hazell in the case of CAA the resonances arising from -CH and -CH2 groups of the aspartate moiety have chemical shifts and coupling constants different from those of the amino acid aspartate. Thus, it was possible to make an unambiguous assignment of CAA.2 The investigations in other enzymes lack this type of identification in case of complex activities. Regarding the results related to the study of enzymes in H Pylori the NMR method will give good results when combined with radio active tracer analysis and spectrophotometry. The activity of the enzyme in the development of H pylori is useful in developing therapeutic drugs as it was found essential for existence and growth of H Pylori. The above activity was related to the enzyme investigation regarding the existence of disease causing bacteria. There are number of enzymes with varying activities. Some enzymes even effect the skeletal in animals (as well as in human beings). These activities are studied to solve the problems regarding the muscle problems. After the structure (skeleton) of the human body the muscle is the thing, which contributes strength and movement for it. The enzymes, which affect the fibre and the muscle, play an important role in developing methods to increase or preserve the efficiency of the muscle fibre. There are 3 types of fibres according to P. D. Gollnick, R.B. Armstrong, C.W.Saubertiv, K. Piehl, and B. Stalin (1972). These fibres are interconvertibility depends on the training given. The training proved to increase red muscle at the expense of white muscle. This means that the enzyme activity was changed due to training as the enzymes acting in the existence of red and white muscles are different. FIG. 1. Serial sections from vastus lateralis muscle stained for DPNH-diaphorase (lop) and rnyosin ATPase (boltom) from four sub- jects. A and B: untrained middle-aged subject (BA). Note relatively large fibers and light DPNH-diaphorase stain in both FT and ST fibers. C and D: distance runner (DM). FT fibers are smaller than ST fibers in this sample. Both fiber types have intense DPNH-diaphorase stain, particularly the subsarcolemnal region of the ST fibers. E and I;: sprinter (,VP). Both FT and ST fibers exhibit a relatively low oxidative potential. G and H: orienteer (CR). Intensity of the stain for DPNH- diaphorase in some of the FT fibers approaches that of the ST fibers (X 185). Adapted from: http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/33/3/312.pdf According ATPase activity the muscles are classified into FT and ST. Though both the fibres have continuous oxidative capacity, the fast twitch (FT) fibres have less of it due to glycolytic activity. The presence of another red muscle was detected with ATPase activity at alkaline PH value. It was found that the glycogen activity in the muscle is found more in the trained personnel or in the muscle of the persons in sports activity. The glycogen activity increases with the increase of physical activity in the muscle. 1Here in the above mentioned reference the alteration of distribution of muscle due to training was discussed and was proved that there is change in enzyme activity due to training and thus the change in the muscle. This proves that the change in enzyme activity brings out the change in the muscle as the ATPase and glycogen activities are different in different type of muscles. Oxygen-derived free radicals play an important role in the development of disease in critically ill patients. Normally, oxygen free radicals are neutralized by antioxidants such as vitamin E or enzymes such as super oxide dismutase. However, in patients who require intensive care, oxygen free radicals become a problem when either a decrease in the removal or an overproduction of the radicals occurs.2 For the purpose of studying the control of the above mentioned activities in the critically III patients enzyme and non enzyme defences were studied. The oxidants which cause or increase the disease activity are caused due to the enzymes and antioxidants. In this paper we will be confined to enzyme activities. Enzyme activities involved in purifying are responsible for the defence against ROS. It was done by prevention of free radical formation. SOD, catalase and the glutathione system are responsible for the defence activity against ROS. The SOD catalyzes the conversion of O2 to H2O2. It was further reduced glutathione peroxidase. Here water and oxygen are formed. N-acetylcysteine is like glutathione peroxidase in its chemical composition. It also works as a scavenger. When glutathione peroxidase generates water and oxygen, another reaction produces gluthione peroxidase again and this activity will give the required glutathione peroxidase to the body to produce oxygen. The accumulation of hydrogen peroxide occurs when glutathione is less than the presence of glutathione disulphide. When oxygen molecule enters the blood the catalase is capable of destroying free radicals. This enables red blood cells in preventing the damage caused due to action of free radicals. Conclusion The discussion in the essay reveals that the enzyme activity is responsible for number of biological mechanisms. This helps in control or enhancement of certain activities of enzymes, which can deliver different results regarding enhancement of efficiency of human body and prevention and treatment of diseases. References The references are given in the following format Author name, year of publication, title, publisher or sponsor, edition information if available, type of media, date retrieved, name of the website. 1. Brendan Burns, George Mendz and Stuart Hazell, 1998, Methods for the Measurement of a Bacterial Enzyme Activity in Cell Lysates and Extracts, Biological procedures Online, ,electronic, 4-09-06, http://www.biologicalprocedures.com/bpo/arts/1/5/m5.htm 2. P. D. Gollnick, R.B. Armstrong, C.W.Saubertiv, K. Piehl, and B. Stalin, 1972, Enzyme activity and fibre composition in skeletal muscle of untrained and trained men, Journal of Applied Physiology, Volume 33, No.3, electronic, 4-09-06, http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/reprint/33/3/312.pdf. 3. Caryl Goodyear-Bruch, RN, MSN, CCRN and Janet D. Pierce, DSN, ARNP, CCRN. 2002, Oxidative Stress in Critically Ill Patients, American Journal of critical care, 11:543-551, electronic, 4-09-06, http://ajcc.aacnjournals.org/cgi/content/full/11/6/543#SEC4 Read More