Chlorite dismutase, also known as Chlorite O₂-lyase (), is an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...

that

catalyzes Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycl ...

the

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the positions of electrons in the forming and break ...

: ClO → Cl⁻ + O₂ Reactions that generate

oxygen Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as we ...

molecules are exceedingly rare in biology and difficult to mimic synthetically. Perchlorate - respiring bacteria enzymatically detoxify chlorite, ClO, the end product of the perchlorate, ClO, respiratory pathway, by converting it to dioxygen, O₂, and chloride, Cl⁻. Chlorite dismutase is a heme-containing protein, but it bears no structural or sequence relationships with known peroxidases or other heme proteins and is part of a large family of proteins with more than one biochemical function.

References

{{Portal bar, Biology, border=no EC 1.13.11 Enzymes of unknown structure