engineering

Phenylalanine dehydrogenase

Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase rather than just read about it. In short: In enzymology, phenylalanine dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.20) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction The three substrates of this enzyme are L-phenylalanine, water, and oxidised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Its products are phenylpyruvic acid, ammonia, reduced NADH, and a proton.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

In enzymology, phenylalanine dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.20) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

The three substrates of this enzyme are L-phenylalanine, water, and oxidised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Its products are phenylpyruvic acid, ammonia, reduced NADH, and a proton. This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on the CH-NH2 group of donors with NAD+ or NADP+ as acceptor. The systematic name of this enzyme class is L-phenylalanine:NAD+ oxidoreductase (deaminating). Other names in common use include L-phenylalanine dehydrogenase, and PHD. This enzyme participates in phenylalanine metabolism and phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis.

Structural studies As of late 2007, two structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes PDB: 1BW9 and PDB: 1BXG.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Phenylalanine dehydrogenase

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase

In research: Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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: Phenylalanine dehydrogenase is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics EC 1.4.1, Enzymes of known structure, NADH-dependent enzymes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Phenylalanine dehydrogenase in simple terms?

In enzymology, phenylalanine dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.20) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction The three substrates of this enzyme are L-phenylalanine, water, and oxidised nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Its products are phenylpyruvic acid, ammonia, reduced NADH, and a proton.

Why does Phenylalanine dehydrogenase 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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase?

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 Phenylalanine dehydrogenase.