THE ENZYME WARP
Based on "The Time Warp"
Original Words and Music by Richard O'Brien

 

 

It’s an enzyme:
One of those globular
Proteins - with a twist:
It does reactions
That you can’t do in test-tubes -
‘Cos it’s a catalyst!!

It finds routes of low activation
Energy for reactions, when
The substrate’s binding
And the complex is forming:
It’s the enzyme warp again!
It’s the enzyme warp again!

It’s a protein catalyst
With high specificity-y-y-y-y!
Induced fit hypothesis
Or lock and key theory!
But it’s the active si-ite
That really mangles that su-u-u-u-ubstrate!
It’s the enzyme warp again!
It’s the enzyme warp again!

There’s ligases
Oxidoreductases
Transferases
Everywhere;
It can do oxidations
Or isomerisations -
If its coenzyme’s there;

Active site competition
Can cause inhibition
Increasing Km;
It can end up denatured
With a high temperature -
It’s the enzyme warp again!
It’s the enzyme warp again!

It’s the enzyme warp again!
It’s the enzyme warp again!

It’s a protein catalyst
With high specificit-y-y-y-y!
Induced-fit hypothesis
Or lock and key theory!
But it’s the active si-ite
That really mangles that su-u-u-u-ubstrate!!
It’s the enzyme warp again!
It’s the enzyme warp again!

 

 

(c) Aimee Hartnell, July 2000