Question

The year is 2040, and you are part ofan intergalactic research team.  In the On-Line galaxy, on the planet Virtual, you discover ureotelic organisms that have biochemistry analogous to terrestrial organisms (aka us!). You have isolated the following compound that appears to be an intermediate in their urea cycle.  Based on this compound, and the excellent (ahem!) biochemical education you received in CHM 3280, predict the rest of the Virtualian Urea Cycle.  Provide structures and enzyme names, cofactors etc.

Answer 1

The urea cycle (also known as the ornithine cycle) is a cycle of biochemical reactions that produces urea (NH2)2CO from ammonia (NH3). This cycle occurs in ureotelic organisms including humans. The urea cycle converts highly toxic ammonia to urea for excretion. The ureotelic organism have same biochemistry as terrestrial organism. Hence, the urea cycle will be same.

1 L-ornithine
2 carbamoyl phosphate
3 L-citrulline
4 argininosuccinate
5 fumarate
6 L-arginine
7 urea
L-Asp L-aspartate
CPS-1 carbamoyl phosphate synthetase I
OTC Ornithine transcarbamoylase
ArgininoSuccinate Synthetase
ASL argininosuccinate lyase
ARG1 arginase 1