CoFactor: Coenzyme A

General information

2D representation

Key facts

Cofactor type		coenzyme
Human metabolism		from Vitamin B₅
IUPAC name		3'-phosphoadenosine 5'-{3-[(3R)-3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-4-oxo-4-({3-oxo-3-[(2-sulfanylethyl)amino]propyl}amino)butyl] dihydrogen diphosphate}
Curator		JDF

Molecular function

Coenzyme A's (CoA) function in the cell is to solubilize hydrophobic acyl groups, i.e. to transport them from one enzyme to the next [1]. Its function as a cofactor is the transfer of this acyl group.

Chemical properties

CoA is composed of a phosphppantothenic acid portion and an adenosine nucleotide, connected by a phosphodiester bond.

Pathways

CoA is involved in the citric acid cycle and also in secondary metabolism (e.g. flavonoid biosynthesis) [1].

Comment

In E. coli, 4% of the known enzymes have been shown to require CoA [1].

There is some evidence that CoA was involved in the earliest metabolic systems [2].

References

[1]	pubmed:17898891
[2]	pubmed:17898893
[3]	pubmed:17898894
[4]	pubmed:17898895