enzymology An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

, a cycloartenol synthase () is an

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

that

catalyzes Catalysis () is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quick ...

the

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemistry, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. When chemical reactions occur, the atoms are rearranged and the reaction is accompanied by an Gibbs free energy, ...

:(''S'')-2,3-epoxysqualene

\rightleftharpoons

cycloartenol Hence, this enzyme has one

substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (aquatic environment), the earthy material that exi ...

, (''S'')-2,3-epoxysqualene, and one product,

cycloartenol Cycloartenol is an important triterpenoid often found in plants. It belongs to the sterol class of steroids. It is the starting point for the synthesis of almost all plant steroids, making them chemically distinct from the steroids of fungi and a ...

. This enzyme is an

oxidosqualene cyclase Oxidosqualene cyclases (OSC) are enzymes involved in cyclization reactions of 2,3-oxidosqualene to form sterols or triterpenes. There are two major groups of sterol-producing OSC enzymes: * Cycloartenol synthase (CAS), found in all plants, which ...

and belongs to the family of

isomerase In biochemistry, isomerases are a general class of enzymes that convert a molecule from one isomer to another. Isomerases facilitate intramolecular rearrangements in which chemical bond, bonds are Bond cleavage, broken and formed. The general form ...

s, specifically those intramolecular

transferase In biochemistry, a transferase is any one of a class of enzymes that catalyse the transfer of specific functional groups (e.g. a methyl or glycosyl group) from one molecule (called the donor) to another (called the acceptor). They are involved ...

s transferring other groups. This enzyme participates in

biosynthesis of steroids A steroid is an organic compound with four fused rings (designated A, B, C, and D) arranged in a specific molecular configuration. Steroids have two principal biological functions: as important components of cell membranes that alter memb ...

Nomenclature

The

systematic name A systematic name is a name given in a systematic way to one unique group, organism, object or chemical substance, out of a specific population or collection. Systematic names are usually part of a nomenclature. A semisystematic name or semitrivi ...

of this enzyme class is: * (S)-2,3-epoxysqualene mutase (cyclizing, cycloartenol-forming). Other names in common use include: * 2,3-epoxysqualene cycloartenol-cyclase * squalene-2,3-epoxide-cycloartenol cyclase * 2,3-epoxysqualene cycloartenol-cyclase * 2,3-epoxysqualene-cycloartenol cyclase * 2,3-oxidosqualene-cycloartenol cyclase

References

* EC 5.4.99 Enzymes of unknown structure {{isomerase-stub