engineering

Malonate—CoA ligase

Malonate—CoA ligase is a engineering topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Malonate—CoA ligase rather than just read about it. In short: In enzymology, a malonate—CoA ligase (EC 6.2.1.76), also known as malonyl-CoA synthetase or malonate:CoA ligase (AMP-forming), is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction: This enzyme belongs to the class of ligases, specifically those forming carbon-sulfur bonds as acid-thiol ligases or, more precisely, to the family of acyl-CoA synthetases. Representatives of the malonate—CoA ligase family are required for m…

Key takeaways

Malonate—CoA ligase belongs to engineering; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Malonate—CoA ligase to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Malonate—CoA ligase from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

In enzymology, a malonate—CoA ligase (EC 6.2.1.76), also known as malonyl-CoA synthetase or malonate:CoA ligase (AMP-forming), is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction:

This enzyme belongs to the class of ligases, specifically those forming carbon-sulfur bonds as acid-thiol ligases or, more precisely, to the family of acyl-CoA synthetases. Representatives of the malonate—CoA ligase family are required for malonate detoxification, mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis, lysine malonylation, and acetyl-CoA synthesis.

Examples The following enzymes with malonyl-CoA synthetase activity are known:

Acyl-CoA synthetase family member 3 (ACSF3) The only known malonyl-CoA synthetase in mammals is the mitochondrial enzyme acyl-CoA synthetase family member 3 (ACSF3), which, in addition to malonate, also accepts methylmalonate as a substrate with approximately 70% efficiency. ACSF3 is required for the clearance of intramitochondrial malonate, as malonate is a potent inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration through the competitive inhibition of succinate dehydrogenase (Complex II), an enzyme that simultaneously functions in the citric acid cycle and the respiratory chain. In addition to the mitochondrial isoform of acetyl-CoA carboxylase 1 (mtACC1), which produces malonyl-CoA from acetyl-CoA, ACSF3 hereby contributes to the mitochondrial malonyl-CoA pool required for mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis, lysine malonylation, acetyl-CoA synthesis, and incorporation into cellular lipids.

Acyl activating enzyme 13 (AAE13) Also in plants, more precisely in Arabidopsis thaliana, there is a malonyl-CoA synthetase, the acyl activation enzyme 13 (AAE13). Malonyl-CoA is required as a substrate in acylation and condensation reactions. AAE13 is localized both in the cytosol and in the mitochondria, whereby the cytosolic isoform is not essential, as cytosolic malonyl-CoA is sufficiently provided by cytosolic acetyl-CoA carboxylase. In contrast, the mitochondrial isoform is essential for plant growth.

Clinical relevance In the inborn error of metabolism combined malonic and methylmalonic aciduria (CMAMMA), the malonyl-CoA synthetase ACSF3 is defective, leading to an accumulation of malonate and methylmalonate, and to a deficiency of malonyl-CoA and methylmalonyl-CoA.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Malonate—CoA ligase

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Malonate—CoA ligase claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In engineering, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Malonate—CoA ligase before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Malonate—CoA ligase ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Malonate—CoA ligase

In research: Malonate—CoA ligase appears in engineering research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Malonate—CoA ligase in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Malonate—CoA ligase is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Acyl-CoA synthetase, EC 6.2.1, Enzymes of unknown structure, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Malonate—CoA ligase outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Malonate—CoA ligase in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Malonate—CoA ligase means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Malonate—CoA ligase out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Malonate—CoA ligase in simple terms?

In enzymology, a malonate—CoA ligase (EC 6.2.1.76), also known as malonyl-CoA synthetase or malonate:CoA ligase (AMP-forming), is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction: This enzyme belongs to the class of ligases, specifically those forming carbon-sulfur bonds as acid-thiol ligases or, mor…

Why does Malonate—CoA ligase matter?

Because it connects several engineering ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Malonate—CoA ligase?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Malonate—CoA ligase.