Metabolite transfer via enzyme-enzyme complexes

Abstract

The concentrations of enzyme sites in cells are usually higher than the concentrations of cognate intermediary metabolites. Therefore metabolic pathways or substantial segments of pathways may proceed by the direct transfer of metabolites from one enzyme site to the next by means of enzyme-enzyme complex formation. This mechanism of metabolite transfer differs from that usually assumed where dissociation and random diffusion of metabolite through the aqueous environment is responsible for the transfer to the next enzyme site. Since the direct transfer mechanism does not involve the aqueous environment, the energetics of metabolite interconversion can differ from expectations based on aqueous solution data. Evidence is summarized suggesting that metabolite is transformed and transferred with equal facility everywhere in the direct transfer pathway.