PathWhiz

Pathway Description

Operon: Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase

Escherichia coli

Signaling Pathway

The carAB operon in E. coli contains two genes which produce the alpha and beta, or small and large chains of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthase protein. This protein is involved in the L-arginine biosynthesis pathway, and because of this, it can be repressed by the arginine repressor protein. This repressor is preesent when arginine is, preventing the biosynthesis of excess arginine. The first gene in this operon, carA, encodes the alpha or small chain of carbamoyl-phosphate synthase. The second gene, carB, encodes the beta or large chain of the same protein. One of each subunit combines in a heterodimer, which then interact with three other heterodomers to form the final carbamoyl-phosphate synthase protein. This protein is used in the formation of carbamoyl phosphate from glutamine, hydrogen carbonate, ATP and water. This reaction is part of the L-arginine biosynthesis pathway.

References

Operon: Carbamoyl Phosphate Synthetase References

Piette J, Nyunoya H, Lusty CJ, Cunin R, Weyens G, Crabeel M, Charlier D, Glansdorff N, Pierard A: DNA sequence of the carA gene and the control region of carAB: tandem promoters, respectively controlled by arginine and the pyrimidines, regulate the synthesis of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase in Escherichia coli K-12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1984 Jul;81(13):4134-8.

Pubmed: 6330744

Charlier D, Weyens G, Roovers M, Piette J, Bocquet C, Pierard A, Glansdorff N: Molecular interactions in the control region of the carAB operon encoding Escherichia coli carbamoylphosphate synthetase. J Mol Biol. 1988 Dec 20;204(4):867-77. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(88)90047-2.

Pubmed: 3065519

Highlighted elements will appear in red.

Highlight Compounds

	Adenosine diphosphate
	Adenosine triphosphate
	Ammonia
	Bicarbonate
	Carbamoyl phosphate
	Phosphate

Highlight Proteins

	Carbamoyl-phosphate synthase large chain
	Carbamoyl-phosphate synthase small chain

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