biology

UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase

UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase is a biology 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 UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase rather than just read about it. In short: In enzymology, an UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.1.98) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-muramate + NADP+ ⇌ {\displaystyle \rightleftharpoons } UDP-N-acetyl-3-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-alpha-D-glucosamine + NADPH + H+ Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-muramate and NADP+, whereas its 3 products are UDP-N-acetyl-3-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-alpha-D-gluco…

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

In enzymology, an UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.1.98) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-muramate + NADP+ ⇌ {\displaystyle \rightleftharpoons } UDP-N-acetyl-3-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-alpha-D-glucosamine + NADPH + H+ Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-muramate and NADP+, whereas its 3 products are UDP-N-acetyl-3-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-alpha-D-glucosamine, NADPH, and H+. This enzyme belongs to the family of oxidoreductases, specifically those acting on the CH-CH group of donor with NAD+ or NADP+ as acceptor. The systematic name of this enzyme class is UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-muramate:NADP+ oxidoreductase. Other names in common use include MurB reductase, UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvoylglucosamine reductase, UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-enoylpyruvate reductase, UDP-GlcNAc-enoylpyruvate reductase, uridine diphosphoacetylpyruvoylglucosamine reductase, uridine diphospho-N-acetylglucosamine-enolpyruvate reductase, uridine-5'-diphospho-N-acetyl-2-amino-2-deoxy-3-O-lactylglucose:NADP-oxidoreductase. This enzyme participates in aminosugars metabolism. It employs one cofactor, FAD.

Structural studies As of late 2007, 8 structures have been solved for this class of enzymes, with PDB accession codes PDB: 1HSK, PDB: 1MBB, PDB: 1MBT, PDB: 1UXY, PDB: 2GQT, PDB: 2GQU, PDB: 2MBR, and PDB: 2Q85.

References

Taku A, Anwar RA (1973). "Biosynthesis of uridine diphospho-N-acetylmuramic acid. IV Activation of uridine diphospho-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase by monovalent cations". J. Biol. Chem. 248 (14): 4971–6. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(19)43659-4. PMID 4717533. Taku A, Gunetileke KG, Anwar RA (1970). "Biosynthesis of uridine diphospho-N-acetylmuramic acid. 3 Purification and properties of uridine diphospho-N-acetylenolpyruvyl-glucosamine reductase". J. Biol. Chem. 245 (19): 5012–6. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(18)62810-8. PMID 4394163. van Heijenoort J (2001). "Recent advances in the formation of the bacterial peptidoglycan monomer unit". Nat. Prod. Rep. 18 (5): 503–19. doi:10.1039/a804532a. PMID 11699883.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, 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 UDP-N-acetylmuramate 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 UDP-N-acetylmuramate 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 UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase

In research: UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase appears in biology 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 UDP-N-acetylmuramate 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: UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics EC 1.3.1, EC 1.3 stubs, Enzymes of known structure, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for UDP-N-acetylmuramate 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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Frequently asked questions

What is UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase in simple terms?

In enzymology, an UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.1.98) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction UDP-N-acetyl-alpha-D-muramate + NADP+ ⇌ {\displaystyle \rightleftharpoons } UDP-N-acetyl-3-O-(1-carboxyvinyl)-alpha-D-glucosamine + NADPH + H+ Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme…

Why does UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase matter?

Because it connects several biology 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 UDP-N-acetylmuramate 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 UDP-N-acetylmuramate dehydrogenase.