transformylaseIMP
Transformylase-IMP, also known as AICAR transformylase/IMP cyclohydrolase (ATIC in eukaryotes; PurH in many bacteria), is a bifunctional enzyme involved in de novo purine biosynthesis. It catalyzes two sequential reactions on a single polypeptide: first, the AICAR transformylase reaction, which transfers a formyl group from 10-formyltetrahydrofolate to aminoimidazole carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) to form FAICAR; second, the IMP cyclohydrolase reaction, which converts FAICAR to inosine monophosphate (IMP), completing a key late stage of purine nucleotide formation.
In organisms that encode PurH, the enzyme typically comprises two catalytic domains arranged in one polypeptide:
Localization and genetic context vary: PurH is common in bacteria and archaea, while ATIC is the eukaryotic
Clinical and biotechnological relevance stems from its essential function in purine synthesis. Inhibitors targeting PurH/ATIC can