Phosphorylation

Phosphorylation is the addition of a phosphate group to a molecule. It can change a molecule’s activity, interactions, location, or chemical properties.

Protein kinase: An enzyme that transfers a phosphate group, usually from ATP, to a protein or other substrate. Protein kinases catalyze many regulatory phosphorylation reactions.
Signal transduction: The process by which cells convert external or internal signals into changes in cellular activity. Phosphorylation relays signals between receptors and cellular targets.
Phosphate: An ion or functional group containing phosphorus bonded to oxygen atoms. A phosphate group is the chemical unit transferred in phosphorylation.
Glycosylation: The covalent attachment of carbohydrate groups to proteins, lipids, or other molecules. It modifies molecules with sugars rather than phosphate groups.
Protein phosphatase: An enzyme that removes phosphate groups from proteins by hydrolysis. Phosphatases reverse many phosphorylation events and reset protein activity.
Mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway: A signaling pathway that uses sequential kinase activation to regulate growth, differentiation, and stress responses. Its kinase cascade illustrates how phosphorylation propagates signals.
Phosphoryl group: The PO₃ group transferred from a donor molecule during many phosphorylation reactions. It names the group commonly attached to a substrate by a kinase.
Methylation: The transfer of a methyl group to a molecule, often altering its chemical behavior or biological activity. It is another covalent regulatory modification, but transfers a methyl group.
ATP: A nucleotide that supplies energy and phosphate groups for many cellular reactions. ATP commonly donates the phosphate added during phosphorylation.
Glycolysis: A metabolic pathway that converts glucose into pyruvate while producing ATP and NADH. Phosphorylation traps glucose and helps drive several glycolytic reactions.

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