GUANINE DEAMINASE Meaning and
Definition
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Guanine Deaminase is an enzyme that plays a crucial role in nucleotide metabolism and is primarily involved in the degradation and recycling of purine bases. Specifically, it catalyzes the conversion of guanine, a nitrogenous base found in DNA and RNA, into xanthine by removing the amino group (-NH2) from the guanine molecule.
This enzymatic reaction is an essential step in the catabolic breakdown of purine nucleotides, which are responsible for storing and transferring energy within cells. By rapidly deaminating guanine, guanine deaminase helps maintain the optimal balance of nucleotides and prevents an accumulation of guanine in the body.
Guanine Deaminase is present in various tissues and organs, including the liver, kidneys, and intestines, where it operates as part of the purine salvage pathway. This pathway salvages purine bases from the degradation of nucleic acids or other sources and converts them back into nucleotides for reuse in DNA and RNA synthesis.
Deficiencies or mutations in the guanine deaminase gene can lead to a rare genetic disorder known as guanidinoacetate methyltransferase deficiency, which results in the accumulation of guanidinoacetate, a guanine derivative, in the brain. This condition leads to severe neurological symptoms such as intellectual disability and seizures.
In summary, guanine deaminase is an enzyme that facilitates the breakdown of guanine into xanthine, contributing to the overall recycling and maintenance of nucleotides necessary for cellular activities.
Common Misspellings for GUANINE DEAMINASE
- fuanine deaminase
- vuanine deaminase
- buanine deaminase
- huanine deaminase
- yuanine deaminase
- tuanine deaminase
- gyanine deaminase
- ghanine deaminase
- gjanine deaminase
- gianine deaminase
- g8anine deaminase
- g7anine deaminase
- guznine deaminase
- gusnine deaminase
- guwnine deaminase
- guqnine deaminase
- guabine deaminase
- guamine deaminase
- guajine deaminase
- guahine deaminase
Etymology of GUANINE DEAMINASE
The word "Guanine Deaminase" is composed of two main parts: "guanine" and "deaminase".
- "Guanine" refers to one of the four basic building blocks of DNA called nucleotides. Guanine forms a base pair with cytosine (C) in DNA. The term "guanine" originates from the Spanish word "guano", meaning "dung". Guanine was originally isolated from guano, a substance found in bird and bat droppings, due to its high concentration of this nucleotide.
- "Deaminase" is a suffix derived from the word "deamination", which refers to a chemical reaction where an amino group is removed from a molecule. In this case, "deaminase" refers to an enzyme that catalyzes the deamination of guanine.
