Official Full Name
Glycogen branching enzyme
Background
Glycogen branching enzyme is an enzyme that adds branches to the growing glycogen molecule during the synthesis of glycogen, a storage form of glucose. More specifically, during glycogen synthesis, a glucose 1-phosphate molecule reacts with uridine triphosphate (UTP) to become UDP-glucose, an activated form of glucose. The activated glucosyl unit of UDP-glucose is then transferred to the hydroxyl group at the C-4 of a terminal residue of glycogen to form an α-1,4-glycosidic linkage, a reaction catalyzed by glycogen synthase. Importantly, glycogen synthase can only catalyze the synthesis of α-1,4-glycosidic linkages. Since glycogen is a readily mobilized storage form of glucose, the extended glycogen polymer is branched by glycogen branching enzyme to provide glycogen breakdown enzymes, such as glycogen phosphorylase, with a large number of terminal residues for rapid degradation. Branching also importantly increases the solubility and decreases the osmotic strength of glycogen.
Synonyms
Branching enzyme, amylo-(1,4→1,6)-transglycosylase; Q-enzyme; α-glucan-branching glycosyltransferase; amylose isomerase; enzymatic branching factor; branching glycosyltransferase; enzyme Q; glucosan transglycosylase; glycogen branching enzyme; plant branching enzyme; α-1,4-glucan:α-1,4-glucan-6-glycosyltransferase; starch branching enzyme; 1,4-α-D-glucan:1,4-α-D-glucan 6-α-D-(1,4-α-D-glucano)-transferase
