An ode to enzyme families

By Gaurav Moghe

Enzyme families are large. They are also large-hearted.

There was once a small molecule

wobbling endlessly in the cytoplasm

It looked for a protein to bind to

But didn’t see much enthusiasm!

Oh, will I find my perfect enzyme

Specific enough to take me in?

And convert me into a useful product

That is not a hideous toxin?

Picoseconds turned to nanoseconds

But no protein would play it cool

They were all too specific, too uptight

To even look at our poor molecule

Two whole microseconds went by

Epochs, so to say,

Soon the molecule started believing

That spontaneous degradation or a humiliating excretion

was its only way…

Then out of the blue it was sucked into a cavernous cavity

What just happened?!! The molecule wondered

“Don’t worry kiddo, I’m multi-functional/promiscuous”

An enzymatic voice thundered

The enzyme, member of a large family

Had taken the wandering molecule in

And it soon transformed it wondrously

Into a product the whole cell could believe in!

The small molecule – nay, now a product - was happy

It graciously thanked the promiscuous enzyme

Such is the impact of an enzyme family

Making the world better, one molecule at a time!