Manganese: The Magical Element?

The element manganese is essential for human life. It’s aptly named after the Greek word for magic, and some mysteries surrounding its role in the body still exist today—like how our bodies absorb it, if very high or low levels can cause illness, or how it might play a role in certain diseases. Manganese is necessary for metabolism, bone formation, antioxidation, and many other important functions in the body. The element is found in strong steel, bones and enzymes, and drink cans. Credit: Compound Interest CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Click to enlarge. Making Much With Manganese Structure of the human manganese superoxide dismutase enzyme with amino acid mutations made to study how it works. Credit: PDB 2GDS. Manganese is a cofactor for many enzymes, meaning it must be present for the enzyme to perform its job as a catalyst. Some of the enzymes that require manganese are involved in metabolism of amino acids, cholesterol, glucose, and carbohydrates; antioxidant functions; bone formation; reproduction; and immune responses. For example, manganese superoxide dismutase is the main antioxidant enzyme in mitochondria, the organelles that produce the cell’s main source of energy, ATP. One of the potentially dangerous byproducts of that process is a reactive oxygen species called the superoxide radical. Manganese superoxide dismutase serves as an antioxidant by converting that dangerous species into hydrogen peroxide, which another enzyme can break down into water, ...
Source: Biomedical Beat Blog - National Institute of General Medical Sciences - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Chemistry, Biochemistry and Pharmacology Molecular Structures Cellular Processes Proteins Source Type: blogs