title: ACV synthetase.
abstract: ACV synthetase (ACVS) is the first enzyme and plays a key role in the biosynthesis of all natural penicillins and cephalosporins. The enzyme is extremely unstable and little had been known about it until recently. This article summarizes the progress in research on this enzyme, including the establishment of a cell-free assay system, stabilization, purification, characterization, and gene cloning. A possible reaction sequence for ACVS catalysis is suggested.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Demain
mesh_terms: D000164:Acremonium / Q000201:enzymology; D001709:Biotechnology; D002474:Cell-Free System; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004795:Enzyme Stability; D010406:Penicillins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D002511:Cephalosporins; D010406:Penicillins; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C095368:alpha-aminoadipyl-cysteinyl-valine synthetase