Biocatalysts are biopolymers, i.e. polymers that are synthesized by the organism itself. Their task is to speed up biochemical processes by lowering the activation energy. Although the catalyst is involved in the chemical reaction and is changed in the process, it remains unchanged after the reaction, so that it can have an effect on further reaction cycles.
Biocatalysts are involved in the following processes, among others:
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Digestion, i.e. the breakdown of carbohydrates, fats and proteins
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blood clotting
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cell renewal
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Production of wine, beer, cheese and other foodstuffs.
Types and characteristics of biocatalysts – Example enzymes
One type of biocatalysts are enzymes. These consist of chains of amino acids and can only catalyze certain substrates (substrate specificity) in a certain way, even if there are several ways (action specificity). A specific product is formed, depending on the type of enzyme.
Enzymes can also be bound to a carrier material. These will immobilized enzymes called. As a result, the biocatalyst remains stable for longer and can be removed more easily from the reaction mixture, which makes them particularly important for industry.
There are also biocatalysts made from ribonucleotides catalytically active ribonucleic acidswhich belong to the rarer ribozymes.
Ribozymes are catalytically active RNA molecules which, in addition to enzymes, also catalyze chemical reactions. For example, they are involved in the replication of RNA viruses and in the splicing steps, but they can also be used as molecular biological tools.
function of a biocatalyst
A biocatalyst works in the same way as an enzyme, since enzymes are among the biocatalysts. Basically, a specific substrate binds to a biocatalyst, which is then converted with the help of the active site. There are different ways in which the substrate can be converted, but the active site catalyzes only one way at a time, depending on the nature of the catalyst.
After the end product has been produced and has detached from the active site, the biocatalyst remains unchanged. The activity of biocatalysts can be reduced or stopped by inhibitors, high or low temperatures, acids, bases, heavy metals and reducing agents.
Figure 1: Mechanism of action of an enzyme/biocatalyst and formation of the enzyme-substrate complex
Importance and use of biocatalysts
The function of the biocatalysts gives them an important meaning for organisms and they are used in a wide variety of areas:
in the organism
The most important task of the biocatalysts is that preservation of life, as they play one of the biggest roles in the metabolic processes of all living organisms. This includes photosynthesis, translation and transcription, DNA replication, glycolysis and many other processes. Furthermore, biocatalysts in the form of enzymes are of particular importance for the human body. Peptidases, glycosidases and lipases, for example, are responsible for digestion, i.e. for breaking down proteins, polysaccharides and fats.