Question

What is the most common type of covalent modification to enzymes?

Short answer

Answer: Phosphorylation

Step-by-step solution

Understanding enzyme regulation and covalent modifications

Enzyme regulation plays a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis in living organisms by controlling the rates of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Covalent modifications refer to the process of adding or removing specific chemical groups on the enzyme to regulate its activity, stability, or function.

Identifying the most common type of covalent modification

Among various covalent modifications such as phosphorylation, acetylation, and glycosylation, phosphorylation is the most common type of covalent modification for enzymes. It involves the addition of a phosphate group (PO_4^{3-}) to specific amino acid residues (mainly serine, threonine, or tyrosine), changing the enzyme's activity, conformation, or localization. Most common type of covalent modification to enzymes: Phosphorylation