The pentose phosphate pathway has two metabolic functions: (1) generation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (reduced NADPH), for reductive biosynthesis, and (2) formation of ribose, which is an essential component of ATP, DNA, and RNA. Transaldolase links the pentose phosphate pathway to glycolysis. Transaldolase is a single domain composed of 337 amino acids. The core structure is an α/β barrel, similar to other class I aldolases, made up of eight parallel β-sheets and seven α-helices. There are also seven additional α-helices that are not part of the barrel. Hydrophobic amino acids are located between the β-sheets in the barrel and the surrounding α-helices to contribute to packing. Here you can see the crystal structure of a the pentameric form of a transaldolase from the thermophilic bacterium Thermoplasma acidophilum (PDB code: 6YS0)
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #transaldolase ... #pentose ... #energy ... #glycolysis ... #Thermoplasma ... Rendered with @proteinimaging and finished with @corelphotopaint
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #transaldolase ... #pentose ... #energy ... #glycolysis ... #Thermoplasma ... Rendered with @proteinimaging and finished with @corelphotopaint
