Hi,
This is not exactly a serious posting but may be good for some discussion.
Recently in "HMSBeagle" their was a discussion on the value of using model
organisms in biology; this lead me to wondering if a similar concept
applies in the study of enzymes or enzyme systems. I am, for the sake of
argument, defining a model a an enzyme (or system) which has been so
extensively studied that arguments relating to that system are often used
a generalization (an example would be (serine) proteinases in enzyme
kinetics). Or alternatively a system which has permitted or been the
forging ground of significant technical advances (e.g. Hemoglobin
, ion-channels and perhaps motor enzymes today).
What do you think - have advances in enzymology come about through intense
study of a small group of 'zymes? Have any particular enzymes groups
tended to be especially suitable for developing certain methods?
In MCA have certain pathways been studied more extensively than others?
Given that that is the case (-Grin-) is this as experimental data is more
widely available for some paths than others, or that they are more
experimentally accessable, or theoretically tractable?
Jim Reid
R.J.D.Reid at qmw.ac.uk
