BRENDA Database

Overview

BRENDA (BRaunschweig ENzyme DAtabase) is the world's most comprehensive enzyme information system, containing detailed enzyme data from scientific literature. Query kinetic parameters (Km, kcat), reaction equations, substrate specificities, organism information, and optimal conditions for enzymes using the official SOAP API. Access over 45,000 enzymes with millions of kinetic data points for biochemical research, metabolic engineering, and enzyme discovery.

When to Use This Skill

This skill should be used when:

• Searching for enzyme kinetic parameters (Km, kcat, Vmax)
• Retrieving reaction equations and stoichiometry
• Finding enzymes for specific substrates or reactions
• Comparing enzyme properties across different organisms
• Investigating optimal pH, temperature, and conditions
• Accessing enzyme inhibition and activation data
• Supporting metabolic pathway reconstruction and retrosynthesis
• Performing enzyme engineering and optimization studies
• Analyzing substrate specificity and cofactor requirements

Core Capabilities

1. Kinetic Parameter Retrieval

Access comprehensive kinetic data for enzymes:

Get Km Values by EC Number:

from brenda_client import get_km_values

# Get Km values for all organisms
km_data = get_km_values("1.1.1.1")  # Alcohol dehydrogenase

# Get Km values for specific organism
km_data = get_km_values("1.1.1.1", organism="Saccharomyces cerevisiae")

# Get Km values for specific substrate
km_data = get_km_values("1.1.1.1", substrate="ethanol")

Parse Km Results:

for entry in km_data:
    print(f"Km: {entry}")
    # Example output: "organism*Homo sapiens#substrate*ethanol#kmValue*1.2#commentary*"

Extract Specific Information:

from scripts.brenda_queries import parse_km_entry, extract_organism_data

for entry in km_data:
    parsed = parse_km_entry(entry)
    organism = extract_organism_data(entry)
    print(f"Organism: {parsed['organism']}")
    print(f"Substrate: {parsed['substrate']}")
    print(f"Km value: {parsed['km_value']}")
    print(f"pH: {parsed.get('ph', 'N/A')}")
    print(f"Temperature: {parsed.get('temperature', 'N/A')}")

2. Reaction Information

Retrieve reaction equations and details:

Get Reactions by EC Number:

from brenda_client import get_reactions

# Get all reactions for EC number
reactions = get_reactions("1.1.1.1")

# Filter by organism
reactions = get_reactions("1.1.1.1", organism="Escherichia coli")

# Search specific reaction
reactions = get_reactions("1.1.1.1", reaction="ethanol + NAD+")

Process Reaction Data:

from scripts.brenda_queries import parse_reaction_entry, extract_substrate_products

for reaction in reactions:
    parsed = parse_reaction_entry(reaction)
    substrates, products = extract_substrate_products(reaction)

    print(f"Reaction: {parsed['reaction']}")
    print(f"Organism: {parsed['organism']}")
    print(f"Substrates: {substrates}")
    print(f"Products: {products}")

3. Enzyme Discovery

Find enzymes for specific biochemical transformations:

Find Enzymes by Substrate:

from scripts.brenda_queries import search_enzymes_by_substrate

# Find enzymes that act on glucose
enzymes = search_enzymes_by_substrate("glucose", limit=20)

for enzyme in enzymes:
    print(f"EC: {enzyme['ec_number']}")
    print(f"Name: {enzyme['enzyme_name']}")
    print(f"Reaction: {enzyme['reaction']}")

Find Enzymes by Product:

from scripts.brenda_queries import search_enzymes_by_product

# Find enzymes that produce lactate
enzymes = search_enzymes_by_product("lactate", limit=10)

Search by Reaction Pattern:

from scripts.brenda_queries import search_by_pattern

# Find oxidation reactions
enzymes = search_by_pattern("oxidation", limit=15)

4. Organism-Specific Enzyme Data

Compare enzyme properties across organisms:

Get Enzyme Data for Multiple Organisms:

from scripts.brenda_queries import compare_across_organisms

organisms = ["Escherichia coli", "Saccharomyces cerevisiae", "Homo sapiens"]
comparison = compare_across_organisms("1.1.1.1", organisms)

for org_data in comparison:
    print(f"Organism: {org_data['organism']}")
    print(f"Avg Km: {org_data['average_km']}")
    print(f"Optimal pH: {org_data['optimal_ph']}")
    print(f"Temperature range: {org_data['temperature_range']}")

Find Organisms with Specific Enzyme:

from scripts.brenda_queries import get_organisms_for_enzyme

organisms = get_organisms_for_enzyme("6.3.5.5")  # Glutamine synthetase
print(f"Found {len(organisms)} organisms with this enzyme")

5. Environmental Parameters

Access optimal conditions and environmental parameters:

Get pH and Temperature Data:

from scripts.brenda_queries import get_environmental_parameters

params = get_environmental_parameters("1.1.1.1")

print(f"Optimal pH range: {params['ph_range']}")
print(f"Optimal temperature: {params['optimal_temperature']}")
print(f"Stability pH: {params['stability_ph']}")
print(f"Temperature stability: 
how to use brenda-database
CursorClaude CodeClineCodexWindsurfGooseGitHub CopilotVS CodeGemini CLIKiloOpencodeKimi CLIRoo ClineAiderContinueZedBolt.newLovablev0Replit AgentSweepSmol DeveloperDevinCavemanAmpAntigravity
How to use brenda-database on Cursor
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1
Prerequisites
Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:
›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add brenda-database
2
Execute installation command
Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:
$npx skills add https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates --skill brenda-databasecopy
The skills CLI fetches brenda-database from GitHub repository davila7/claude-code-templates and configures it for Cursor.
3
Select Cursor when prompted
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4
Verify installation
Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:
.cursor/skills/brenda-database
Reload or restart Cursor to activate brenda-database. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /brenda-database) or your agent's skill management interface.
⚠
Security & Verification Notice
We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.
Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.
Additional Resources
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