Acetolactate Synthase (ALS)

The acetolactate synthase (ALS) enzyme is a protein found in plants and micro-organisms. ALS catalyzes the first step in the synthesis of the branched-chain amino acids (valine, leucine, and isoleucine).

Acetolactase is a protein consisting of 590 residues. These residues are classified into three separate subunits. The units are d1yhya1, d1yhya2 and d1yhya3. This is classified by the SCOP domain assignments.The structure of acetolactate synthase that was used for the picture on this page was determined using x-ray diffraction at 2.70 angstroms. X-ray diffraction uses x-rays at specified wavelengths to produce patterns as the x–ray is scattered in certain ways that give an idea to the structure of the molecule being analyzed.This certain proteins is an enzyme involving catalytic activity, more specifically, a part of the biosynthesis of various amino acids.