The role of thermodynamic features on the functional activity of electron bifurcating enzymes

Electron bifurcation is a biological mechanism to drive a thermodynamically unfavorable redox reaction through direct coupling with an exergonic reaction. This process allows microorganisms to generate high energy reducing equivalents in order to sustain life and is often found in anaerobic metaboli...

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Veröffentlicht in:Biochimica et biophysica acta. Bioenergetics 2021-04, Vol.1862 (4), p.148377-148377, Article 148377
Hauptverfasser: Wise, Courtney E., Ledinina, Anastasia E., Yuly, Jonathon L., Artz, Jacob H., Lubner, Carolyn E.
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Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Electron bifurcation is a biological mechanism to drive a thermodynamically unfavorable redox reaction through direct coupling with an exergonic reaction. This process allows microorganisms to generate high energy reducing equivalents in order to sustain life and is often found in anaerobic metabolism, where the energy economy of the cell is poor. Recent work has revealed details of the redox energy landscapes for a variety of electron bifurcating enzymes, greatly expanding the understanding of how energy is transformed by this unique mechanism. Here we highlight the plasticity of these emerging landscapes, what is known regarding their mechanistic underpinnings, and provide a context for interpreting their biochemical activity within the physiological framework. We conclude with an outlook for propelling the field toward an integrative understanding of the impact of electron bifurcation. •Emerging mechanisms of flavin-based bifurcation reveal parallels to Q-cycle systems.•Electron-bifurcating systems aid to maintain the balance of cellular redox pools.•Bifurcating system redox range is intimately linked to the cellular energy network.•Thermodynamic regimes of bifurcating enzymes depend largely on intrinsic factors.
ISSN:0005-2728
1879-2650
DOI:10.1016/j.bbabio.2021.148377