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1. Enzyme activity in Carbohydrates
Justin Cotto Reyes
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey 00736, Biology Department, RISE Program
Abstract:
It is known that enzyme activity is interrelated to carbohydrates because of the unique
characteristics they form when catalyzing. Furthermore, it results in the generation of smaller
compounds that can contribute to the synthesis of the different mechanisms the living cell
requires. However, scientists have studied the optimum environment in which an enzyme would
react when manipulating factors that vary among its origin. Likely, temperature, pH and
substrate concentration are the most important variables that can affect the activity of an enzyme
during the catalysis of various compounds and molecules, in this case carbohydrates. The major
outbreak issue from this investigation is to understand and determine the specificity of the
optimum concentration from these conditions so that the enzyme could develop breakdowns in
the living cell the appropriate way.
Table of Content:
Abstract…………………………………………………………… 1
Introduction……………………………………………………….. 1
Warming alters potential enzyme activity………………………… 2
The Role of Carbon Starvation……………………………………. 2
Medium-chain triglyceride supplementation……………………… 2-3
Conclusion…………………………………………………………3
Cited Literature…………………………………………………….3
Introduction:
The living cells of any organism use enzymes, which are protein molecules composed of amino
acids, to catalyze a variety of biochemical reactions (UNKNOW AUTHOR 1972). These
proceed to overtake chemical reactions if they are inside the living cell because it optimizes their
activity. The location where the enzyme activity or degradation of a molecule occurs is called the
active site. On the other hand, carbohydrates are the most abundant class of organic compounds
that originate as products of photosynthesis (Reusch W 2013). Also, they are a great source of
metabolic energy, both for plants and animals that depend on plants for nourishment. Aside from
the sugars and starches that meet this vital nutritional role, carbohydrates serve as an additional
structural material called cellulose, which transports the energy compound of ATP. Enzymes and
carbohydrates are interrelated because they react when catalyzing on a substrate, creating smaller
units of compounds due to the decomposition of carbohydrates. As it is discussed, there is a
specific optimum environment for the enzyme that enables it to work over those conditions.
Therefore, enzymatic activity between the types of carbohydrate may react differently depending
on factors like temperature, pH and substrate concentration when catalyzing.

2. Warming alters potential enzyme activity but precipitation regulates chemical transformations
in grass litter exposed to simulated climatic changes
According to this research, warming can cause an acceleration of enzymatic activity during the
decomposition of plant litter (Suseela et al. 2013). Therefore, the formation of litter derived soil
organic matter can be altered by changes in precipitation that affect sensitivity of litter
decomposition to warming. Consequently, these investigators used three levels of precipitation to
probe how mass loss, microbial enzymatic activity and fine litter level chemistry responded to
the three levels of precipitation and levels of warming. Results showed that warming did not
affect the carbohydrate’s enzymatic activity as much as the precipitation did. This was due to a
faster loss of hydroxycinnamates in this process, which protects carbohydrates through cross-linkages
with lignin. Also, this investigation would be more efficient if on future experiments
they describe enzyme activity within different behaviors, environmental factors or variables such
as cold temperatures and different levels of soil precipitation.
The role of Carbon Starvation in the Induction of Enzymes that Degrade Plant -Derived
Carbohydrates in Aspergillus nigger
This experiment was based on analyzing the response of the Aspergillus fungus to wheat straw
with the purpose of observing the events of enzymatic activity occurring shortly after its
exposure to the substrate (Munster J et al. 2014). These investigators used proteomics to prove
that carbon-starved cultures indeed release CAZymes showing predicted activity on plant
polysaccharides. Results showed that the RNA sequence of transcriptional response after 6 hours
of exposure to wheat straw was very different from the response at 24 hours of exposure from
the same substrate. Consequently, carbon starvation needs to be considered as an important
factor in the early response to wheat straw. In synthesis, this research discovered that enzymatic
activity and reaction products can vary due to the exposure to carbon-starved cultures. Therefore,
it is important to understand the regulation and induction of enzymes from fungi used for
saccharification of plant polysaccharide because it is crucial to the production of biofuels.
Medium-chain triglyceride supplementation under a low-carbohydrate formula is a promising
therapy for adult-onset type II citrullinemia
Citrin is a mitochondrial inner membrane aspartate-glutamate carrier that transfers a cytosolic
NADH-reducing equivalent into the mitochondria as part of the malate-aspartate shuttle in the
liver (Hayasaka K et al. 2014). The deficiency of this protein causes neonatal intrahepatic
cholestasis (NICCD), which develops an adult-onset type II citrullinemia that can lead to death
by hyperammonemic encephlopathy. The purpose of this investigation was to create a therapy,
different from the transplantation of a liver that could help to treat this disease. So, a low-carbohydrate
formula was a developed and dministered to five patients to test the positive
feedback from this therapy. As a result, these investigators reported that a lactose (galactose)
restricted and medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) supplemented formula is efficient for patients
with NICCD . Afterwards, they found that the MCT supplement was effective, because four of
the five patients completely recovered from the disease with normal laboratory findings. These

3. investigators should improve their work by analyzing how enzyme activity would be useful for
the recovery of 100% of the patients.
Conclusion:
The temperature was a factor that did not change abruptly the enzyme activity in carbohydrates
as much as the soil precipitation did. Hydroxycinnamates, which protects carbohydrates through
cross-linkages with lignin, were washed away by the precipitation and enabled this factor to alter
the enzyme activity in the litter even more. In addition, proteomics proved that carbon-starved
cultures release CAZymes showing a predicted increase of enzyme activity on plant
polysaccharides. Finally, the low-carbohydrate induced therapy for patients with NICCD
depended on the optimum environment in order for the enzyme activity to prevent the disease
from developing in the patient and promote the process of healing. In conclusion, other variables
such as cold temperatures using different levels of soil precipitation should be considered for
future studies. A comparison of the difference of the enzyme’s capability at different levels may
shed more light on enzyme action.
Cited Literature:
Hayasaka K, Numakura C, Toyota K, Kakisaki S, Watanabe H, Haga H, Takahashi H, Takahashi
Y, Kaneko M, Yamakawa M, Nunoi H, Kato T, Ueno Y, Mori M. 2013. Medium-chain
triglyceride supplementation under a low-carbohydrate formula is a promising therapy for adult-onset
type II citrullinemia. Molecular genetics and metabolism reports. [Internet]; [cited 2014
October 10]. DOI:10.1016/j.ymgmr.2013.12.002:(9):Yamagata, Japan. Available at
ScienceDirect: http://www.upr.edu/frames/cayey/index.htm
Munster J, Daly P, Delmas S, Pullan S, Blythe M, Malla S, Kokolski M, Noltorp E, Wennberg
K, Fetherston R, Beniston R, Yu X, Dupree P, Archer D. 2014.The role of Carbon Starvation in
the Induction of Enzymes that Degrade Plant-Derived Carbohydrates in Aspergillus nigger.
Nottingham (UK). doi:10.1016/j.fgb.2014.04.006 Recovered at:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087184514000607
Reusch W. 2013. Natural products. [INTERNET]. [UNKNOW PLACE]: IOCD. 33. Available
at:http://www2.chemistry.msu.edu/faculty/reusch/VirtTxtJml/carbhyd.htm
Suseela V, Tharayil N, Xing B, Dukes J. 2013. Warming alters potential enzyme activity but
precipitation regulates chemical transformations in grass litter exposed to simulated climatic
changes. West Lafayette (USA) Department of Forestry and Natural Resources. (11)
Doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.03.022 Recovered at:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0038071714001175
[UNKNOW AUTHOR]. 1972. Introduction to Enzymes. [INTERNET]. New York (USA):
Worthington Biochemical Corporation. 17 p. Available at: http://www.worthington-biochem.
com/introbiochem/Enzymes.pdf