Phosphorylase Enzyme Courses

Phosphorylase enzyme is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphoryl groups from organic phosphates, such as glucose-1-phosphate and phosphoenolpyruvate, to release free phosphate. Phosphorylase is found in both plants and animals, and is used in the breakdown of carbohydrates for energy production. In plants, it is involved in the breakdown of starch to glucose-1-phosphate, which is then further broken down to sucrose. In animals, phosphorylase is involved in the breakdown of glycogen, a form of stored glucose, to glucose-1-phosphate. The reaction catalyzed by phosphorylase is: Phosphate + Organic Phosphate → Phosphate + Free Phosphate The phosphate produced by phosphorylase then goes on to be used in various metabolic pathways, such as glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway. Phosphorylase is regulated by hormones such as glucagon and glucocorticoids in animals, and by light in plants. Phosphorylase has been extensively studied and is an important target for pharmaceuticals. Drugs such as arbutin and phenytoin are inhibitors of phosphorylase, while drugs such as sildenafil citrate and vardenafil are activators. Moreover, mutations in phosphorylase have been linked to several metabolic disorders, such as glycogen storage disease type I and type III. Phosphorylase is a vital enzyme in the metabolism of carbohydrates, and is essential for both plants and animals to generate energy. Drugs targeting phosphorylase will therefore be useful for treating metabolic disorders, and for modulating energy production.