Metabolic channelling

Brief introduction

The association of various enzymes in large complexes (supramolecular organization) allows the direct transfer of their common intermediate metabolite, (metabolic channelling) i.e. without releasing it to the bulk solvent. This will result in the existence of microcompartments within the soluble phases of cells.

The multienzyme complexes can be divided in two groups:

1. static, if the complex can exist in the absence of the intermediate metabolite.
2. dynamic, if the complex can only exist when the intermediate metabolite is also bound.

Local research

In Aberystwyth our work on metabolic channelling has been mostly on the theoretical side. We have made predictions on the outcome of some experiments for the identification of metabolic channelling and simulated models of dynamic and static channels for the identification of some of their properties.

Reprints of our publications in this field can be obtained from us by email request. Click here for a list of these with pointers to abstracts or full on line versions.

Links to other metabolic channelling and related sites

• A 'canon' of reviews on metabolic organisation, channelling and control
• Paul Srere's home page
• Jim Clegg's current recent research highlight
• Rickey Welch's home page
• Douglas Kell's home page
• Olin Spivey's home page
• Murray Deutscher's home page
• Len Pagliaro's home page
• John Easterby's home page
• The Marseilles group in Enzyme Kinetics and Control Analysis
• Channelling in Intermediary Metabolism a book edited by L. Agius and H. S. A. Sherratt

Reviews and key papers in this field

• Clegg, J.S. (1984). Properties and metabolism of the aqueous cytoplasm and its boundaries. Am. J. Physiol. 246, R133-R151.
• Friedrich, P. (1984). Supramolecular enzyme organization. Quaternary structure and beyond. Pergamon Press/Akadémiai Kiadó, Oxford/Budapest.
• Keleti, T., Ovádi, J. and Batke, J. (1989) Kinetic and physico-chemical analysis of enzyme complexes and their possible role in the control of metabolism. Progr. Biophys. Mol. Biol. 53, 105-152.
• Ovádi, J. (1991) Physiological significance of metabolic channelling. J. Theoret. Biol. 152, 1-22.
• Srivastava, D.K. and Bernhard, S.A. (1986) Enzyme-enzyme interactions and the regulation of metabolic reaction pathways. Curr. Top. Cell. Reg. 28, 1-68.
• Srere, P.A. (1985). The metabolon. Trends Biochem. Sci. 10, 109-110.
• Srere, P.A. (1987) Complexes of sequential metabolic enzymes. Ann. Rev. Biochem. 56, 21-56.
• Welch, G.R. (1977) On the role of organized multienzyme systems in cellular metabolism: a general synthesis. Prog. Biophys. Molec. Biol. 32, 103-191.
• Welch, G.R. (ed.) (1985) Organized Multi-enzyme Systems: Catalytic Properties. Academic Press, New York.
• Welch, G.R. and Clegg, J.S. (eds.) (1986) The organization of cell metabolism. Plenum Press, New York and London.

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Copyright 1996 by Pedro Mendes prm@aber.ac.uk