GLYCERALDEHYDEPHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE Meaning and
Definition
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Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is an enzyme involved in the process of glycolysis, which is the metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate. It specifically catalyzes the conversion of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GAP) into 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate (1,3-BPG) by oxidizing NAD+ to NADH. This reaction is essential for the production of ATP, the main energy currency of cells.
GAPDH plays a crucial role in cellular metabolism as it is one of the key enzymes in glycolysis, which is the primary means of generating energy in the form of ATP under aerobic conditions. Additionally, it is involved in other important cellular processes, including apoptosis, DNA repair, and membrane fusion.
The enzyme is found in both the cytoplasm and mitochondria of cells and exists as a tetramer composed of identical subunits. It has a conserved NAD+ binding domain, an active site containing a catalytic cysteine residue, and a glycine-rich region that binds phosphorylated substrates.
GAPDH has also been found to have non-metabolic functions, such as transcriptional regulation and transport of RNA molecules. It is considered a moonlighting protein, meaning that it performs multiple functions in addition to its primary enzymatic role.
Due to its essential role in cellular metabolism and involvement in various cellular processes, GAPDH has become an important target for research and drug development, particularly in the fields of cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, and infectious diseases.
Common Misspellings for GLYCERALDEHYDEPHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE
- flyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- vlyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- blyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- hlyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- ylyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- tlyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- gkyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- gpyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- goyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- gltceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- glgceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- glhceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- gluceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- gl7ceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- gl6ceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- glyxeraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- glyveraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- glyferaldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- glyderaldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
- glycwraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase
Etymology of GLYCERALDEHYDEPHOSPHATE DEHYDROGENASE
The word "glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase" has a scientific and chemical composition.
1. Glyceraldehyde: It is a compound consisting of the prefix "glycer-" referring to glycerin or glycerol, and "aldehyde" which denotes a class of organic compounds containing a carbonyl group (C=O) attached to a hydrogen atom and carbon chain.
2. Phosphate: It refers to a chemical compound containing a phosphate group, which is composed of phosphorus and oxygen atoms. In this case, it indicates the presence of a phosphate group in the molecule.
3. Dehydrogenase: The suffix "dehydrogenase" is derived from the combination of "dehydrogenation" and "-ase". "Dehydrogenation" suggests the removal or loss of hydrogen atoms from a molecule, and "-ase" is a suffix used to designate enzymes.
