All reactions relevant to biology belong to one of the two groups: those with a kinetic barrier and those with a thermodynamic barrier. The kinetic barrier can be overcome by employing a catalyst. Reactions with a thermodynamic barrier (uphill, endergonic reactions) require provision of energy (such as ATP hydrolysis) in addition to a catalyst. Regardless of the nature of barriers faced, greater than 99{\%} of all the reactions occurring in biological systems are catalyzed. With minor exception of a few RNA catalysts (ribozymes), all the enzymes are built from a protein scaffold. These catalysts par excellence are at the very foundation of life. The three hallmark features of these biocatalysts are catalysis, specificity, and regulation.
CITATION STYLE
Punekar, N. S. (2018). Hallmarks of an Enzyme Catalyst. In ENZYMES: Catalysis, Kinetics and Mechanisms (pp. 43–51). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-0785-0_5
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.