Why gtp instead of atp

By synthesising new ATP analogs we were also able to pinpoint one single interaction between the adenosine moiety of ATP and the backbone of the enzyme that is essential for the difference in ATP and GTP binding conformations. Our findings are likely of a general nature since, for example, all families of human protein kinases shares the same vital interaction between ATP and the backbone of the protein that we have investigated. Kristine Bonnevies hus map Blindernvn. Nettredaksjonen ved MN.

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Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. This, despite the fact that my knowledge of nuclear transport processes is minimal. Whereas ATP is generally used to drive endergonic molecular reactions, the hydrolysis of GTP in G-protein cycles can be thought as a device to terminate a molecular process.

Rather, it is to produce a conformational change in a protein which allows the termination of a process. This termination is generally through the GDP-bound form of the G protein grey interacting with some other protein black :.

This diagram is deliberately simplistic so that the general features of G-protein action can be seen. However, I think it illustrates the same point made in Berg et al.

Section Other examples are signal transduction of hormone action via cyclic AMP and binding of aminoacyl-tRNA to the ribosome. That would imply that, at least, it was not disadvantageous.

Alternatively one might suggest a biological rationale for separating two types of energy-requiring processes — perhaps by regulation of the enzyme that catalyses the conversion of ATP to GTP, dinucleoside-phosphate kinase. However I am not aware of any evidence to support this idea.

As mentioned in a comment by Roland, there are instances where GTP is used to drive endergonic reactions phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase in a manner analogous to the use of ATP, but this is quite different from hydrolysis of GTP in G proteins.

I do not believe that any convincing rationale for this has been propounded, nor for the similar exceptional use of UTP in glycogen synthesis and CTP in phospholipid synthesis. This question has been discussed in another post. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.

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