What does coenzyme a do

These complexes convert nutrients into useful forms of energy. They produce biomolecules that are considered to be the basis of our life. Some nutrients act as cofactors and coenzymes. Others are being broken down by the help of coenzymes. Therefore, it is essential to maintain the dietary intake of trace elements to produce the energy required for life. Enzymes that require the presence of coenzymes to function will not be able to maintain the normal metabolic processes or to maintain the activity of the natural biochemical processes that keep the normal functions of the cell activated such as cell growth, differentiation, division, and repair.

Additionally, coenzymes function to keep the integrity of some regulatory proteins and hormones structures. Some vitamins act as coenzymes participating in the biochemical processes such as catabolism , anabolism , and production of energy. Vitamins A and K are two fat-soluble vitamins that act as coenzymes or cofactors, while all the water-soluble enzymes can act as cofactors or coenzymes. In addition to their action as cofactors, vitamins have a critical role in several vital processes such as the production of hormones, the integrity of collagen in bones, blood coagulation, and proper vision.

Coenzymes are not specific to substrates, instead, they act as a carrier to the reaction products. Coenzymes are regenerated to be reused. An important example of coenzymes is nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide NAD which is used to activate lactic dehydrogenase enzyme. In the dehydrogenation of pyruvate to lactate, NAD itself is reduced by accepting hydrogen atom for catalytic reactions, whereas some enzymes require the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate NADP phosphate which is likewise reduced.

For the synthesis of steroids , NADP coenzyme is required. The reduced enzyme is, then, re-oxidized by transferring the introduced hydrogen along a hydrogen acceptors chain to be combined with molecular oxygen forming a water molecule. Therefore, it is the rate-limiting step of the biochemical reaction. As such, it is considered to be a coenzyme not a substrate.

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide NAD and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate NADP help enzymes that remove hydrogen dehydrogenases to assist in the catabolic process of amino acids, fats, and carbohydrates as well as the enzymes participating in the synthesis of steroids, fats, and other metabolites.

Flavoproteins are enzymes that contain metal. They transfer hydrogen atoms to their prosthetic group from their coenzymes, such as the reduced NAD. In such cases, the flavin adenine dinucleotide FAD , which is a derivative from the riboflavin, acts as a prosthetic group when accepting hydrogen.

Then, coenzyme Q re-oxidizes the flavin to proceed in the electron transport chain to produce a water molecule. Biotin has a role in fatty acids synthesis; therefore, it is expected to have a function in the fatty acid-derived hormones, such as prostaglandin.

There are many other examples of coenzymes involved in several biochemical reactions. Another example is the coenzymes that are involved in the removal of carbon dioxide decarboxylation from a compound to assist in the breakdown of carbohydrates for the production of energy, such as the active form of vitamin B1, thiamin. Others carry hydrogen to serve in oxidation reactions that produce energy from high energy nutrients. Coenzyme A is essential for the metabolism of fatty acid, amino acids, carbohydrates, and other biological molecules.

It contains pantothenic acid PA , which is a form of vitamin B. PA also participates in the fatty acid synthesis as an acyl-carrier protein cofactor.

Vitamin B12 coenzyme forms participate in the synthesis of methionine amino acid. Biocytin is the coenzyme of biotin. It assists in several carboxylation reactions of fatty acids and amino acids to facilitate their metabolism. Furthermore, biocytin has a role in the formation of urea. Helen Nnama. Helen Nnama has six years of writing experience.

She is a health contributor to TBR Journal, editor of fertility confidential manuals, published poet, and a greeting card writer. She has a B. Coenzyme A helps with energy production within the body. Video of the Day. Fatty Acid Synthesis. Formation of acyl-CoA thioesters from organic carboxylic acids activates the acid for further biotransformation reactions and facilitates enzyme recognition.

Xenobiotic carboxylic acids can also form CoA-thioesters, and the resulting acyl-CoA may contribute to the compound's toxicity. Generation of an unusual or poorly-metabolized acyl-CoA from a xenobiotic may lead to cellular metabolic dysfunction through several types of mechanisms including: 1 inhibition of key metabolic enzymes by the acyl-CoA; 2 sequestration of the total cellular CoA pool as the unusual acyl-CoA; 3 physical-chemical effects of the acyl-CoA; and 4 sequestration and depletion of carnitine as the acyl group is transformed from the acyl-CoA to form the corresponding acylcarnitine.

Many of these toxicities are similar to sequelae observed in the inherited organic acidurias in which endogenously-generated acyl-CoAs accumulate secondary to an enzymopathy.