Hydrolase

In biochemistry, a hydrolase or hydrolytic enzyme is an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of a chemical bond. For example, an enzyme that catalyzed the following reaction is a hydrolase:

A–B + H₂O → A–OH + B–H

Nomenclature

Systematic names of hydrolases are formed as "substrate hydrolase." However, common names are typically in the form "substratease." For example, a nuclease is a hydrolase that cleaves nucleic acids.

Classification

Hydrolases are classified as EC 3 in the EC number classification of enzymes. Hydrolases can be further classified into several subclasses, based upon the bonds they act upon:

• EC 3.1: ester bonds (esterases: nucleases, phosphodiesterases, lipase, phosphatase)
• EC 3.2: sugars (DNA glycosylases, glycoside hydrolase)
• EC 3.3: ether bonds
• EC 3.4: peptide bonds (Proteases/peptidases)
• EC 3.5: carbon-nitrogen bonds, other than peptide bonds
• EC 3.6 acid anhydrides (acid anhydride hydrolases, including helicases and GTPase)
• EC 3.7 carbon-carbon bonds
• EC 3.8 halide bonds
• EC 3.9: phosphorus-nitrogen bonds
• EC 3.10: sulphur-nitrogen bonds
• EC 3.11: carbon-phosphorus bonds
• EC 3.12: sulfur-sulfur bonds
• EC 3.13: carbon-sulfur bonds

Clinical considerations

Hydrolase secreted by Lactobacillus jensenii in the human gut stimulates the liver to secrete bile salts that aids in the digestion of food.^[1]

Etymology and pronunciation

The word hydrolase (/ˈhaɪdroʊleɪs, -leɪz/) suffixes the combining form of -ase to the hydrol syllables of hydrolysis.

See also

• Phosphorylase
• Serine hydrolase

References

1. Prince, Amanda L.; Antony, Kathleen M.; Chu, Derrick M.; Aagaard, Kjersti M. (2014). "The microbiome, parturition, and timing of birth: more questions than answers". Journal of Reproductive Immunology. 104-105: 12–19. doi:10.1016/j.jri.2014.03.006. ISSN 0165-0378. PMC 4157949. PMID 24793619.

• EC 3 Introduction from the Department of Chemistry at Queen Mary, University of London, only covers 3.1-3.4
• More detailed taxonomy