Pronunciation: [mjˈuːte͡ɪsɪz] (IPA) 
The word "Mutases" is spelled with the letter 'u' followed by the letter 't'. The 'u' in 'Mutases' is pronounced as a short vowel /ʌ/, as in 'hut'. The letter 't' is pronounced as an unvoiced consonant /t/, with a puff of air released when pronouncing it. The last syllable, '-ases' is pronounced with a long 'a' sound /eɪ/ followed by the unvoiced 's' sound /s/. In summary, the IPA phonetic transcription for 'Mutases' is /ˈmjʌtəsɪz/.
Mutases refers to a class of enzymes that play a crucial role in biochemical reactions by facilitating the movement or rearrangement of chemical groups within a molecule. Specifically, mutases catalyze the transfer of a functional group, such as a phosphate, methyl, or carboxyl group, from one position to another within a substrate molecule. This leads to the formation of a different isomer or an activated intermediate in the metabolic pathway.
Mutases are important in many metabolic processes, including carbohydrate metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lipid metabolism. They are often involved in the interconversion of isomeric forms of molecules, such as converting one sugar isomer to another. This enzymatic activity is vital for the proper functioning of metabolic pathways and maintaining metabolic homeostasis in living organisms.
The specificity of mutases is determined by the particular functional group they can transfer and the specific substrates they act upon. Some well-known examples of mutases are phosphoglycerate mutase, which participates in glycolysis by converting 3-phosphoglycerate to 2-phosphoglycerate, and isocitrate dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the conversion of isocitrate to alpha-ketoglutarate in the citric acid cycle.
Mutases play a critical role in cellular metabolism and are indispensable for maintaining energy production and synthesis of essential molecules. Understanding their mechanisms of action and regulation is crucial for various medical and biotechnological applications, including drug discovery, genetic engineering, and metabolic engineering.
The word "mutases" is derived from the combination of two elements: "muta-" and "-ases".
1. "Muta-" comes from the Latin word "mutare", meaning "to change" or "to alter". This root is often used in biology and chemistry to describe processes of mutation or alteration.
2. "-ases" is a suffix commonly used in biology to indicate an enzyme or a particular class of enzymes. Enzymes are proteins that speed up chemical reactions in living organisms. The suffix "-ase" derives from the Greek word "-asis", meaning "an enzyme", and it denotes the catalytic function of the protein.
Therefore, the term "mutases" is a combination of "muta-" meaning change or alteration and "-ases" meaning enzymes, specifically those involved in catalyzing or facilitating mutating reactions.
