GSS Human
Description
Product Specs
Product Science Overview
Glutathione synthetase (GSS) is a crucial enzyme in the biosynthesis of glutathione (GSH), a tripeptide composed of glutamate, cysteine, and glycine. GSH is a vital antioxidant that plays a significant role in maintaining cellular redox balance, detoxification, and immune response. The recombinant form of human glutathione synthetase is produced using genetic engineering techniques to express the human enzyme in microbial systems, such as Escherichia coli.
Glutathione synthetase catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of gamma-glutamylcysteine and glycine to form glutathione . This reaction is the second step in the GSH biosynthesis pathway, following the formation of gamma-glutamylcysteine by gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase. The enzyme is a homodimer in humans, meaning it consists of two identical subunits non-covalently bound to each other .
The gene encoding human glutathione synthetase is located on chromosome 20q11.2 . Defects in this gene can lead to glutathione synthetase deficiency, a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by metabolic acidosis, 5-oxoprolinuria, increased hemolysis, and neurological dysfunction . The enzyme’s active site binds ATP and the substrates, facilitating the formation of an acylphosphate intermediate, which is then attacked by glycine to form GSH .
Recombinant human glutathione synthetase is produced by inserting the human GSS gene into a suitable expression vector, which is then introduced into a host organism, typically E. coli . The host cells are cultured under conditions that promote the expression of the recombinant enzyme. The enzyme is then purified from the host cells using various chromatographic techniques.
Recombinant human glutathione synthetase has several applications in research and industry. It is used to study the biochemical properties and regulation of GSH biosynthesis. Additionally, it is employed in the production of GSH for pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes . GSH is widely used for its antioxidant properties, detoxification capabilities, and potential therapeutic benefits in conditions such as oxidative stress, liver diseases, and immune disorders .
