In
biochemistry
Biochemistry, or biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology, a ...
, an esterase is a class of
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 splits
ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...
s into an
acid
An acid is a molecule or ion capable of either donating a proton (i.e. Hydron, hydrogen cation, H+), known as a Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory, Brønsted–Lowry acid, or forming a covalent bond with an electron pair, known as a Lewis ...
and an
alcohol
Alcohol may refer to:
Common uses
* Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds
* Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life
** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages
** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...
in a
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, ...
with
water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
called
hydrolysis
Hydrolysis (; ) is any chemical reaction in which a molecule of water breaks one or more chemical bonds. The term is used broadly for substitution reaction, substitution, elimination reaction, elimination, and solvation reactions in which water ...
(and as such, it is a type of
hydrolase
In biochemistry, hydrolases constitute a class of enzymes that commonly function as biochemical catalysts that use water to break a chemical bond:
:\ce \quad \xrightarrowtext\quad \ce
This typically results in dividing a larger molecule into s ...
).
A wide range of different esterases exist that differ in their
substrate specificity, their
protein structure
Protein structure is the three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in an amino acid-chain molecule. Proteins are polymers specifically polypeptides formed from sequences of amino acids, which are the monomers of the polymer. A single amino acid ...
, and their biological function.
EC classification/list of enzymes
* ''EC 3.1.1'': Carboxylic ester hydrolases
**
Acetylesterase (EC 3.1.1.6), splits off
acetyl
In organic chemistry, an acetyl group is a functional group denoted by the chemical formula and the structure . It is sometimes represented by the symbol Ac (not to be confused with the element actinium). In IUPAC nomenclature, an acetyl grou ...
groups
***
Cholinesterase
The enzyme cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8, choline esterase; systematic name acylcholine acylhydrolase) catalyses the hydrolysis of choline-based esters:
: an acylcholine + H2O = choline + a carboxylate
Several of these serve as neurotransmitte ...
****
Acetylcholinesterase
Acetylcholinesterase (HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee, HGNC symbol ACHE; EC 3.1.1.7; systematic name acetylcholine acetylhydrolase), also known as AChE, AChase or acetylhydrolase, is the primary cholinesterase in the body. It is an enzyme th ...
, inactivates the
neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter is a signaling molecule secreted by a neuron to affect another cell across a Chemical synapse, synapse. The cell receiving the signal, or target cell, may be another neuron, but could also be a gland or muscle cell.
Neurotra ...
acetylcholine
Acetylcholine (ACh) is an organic compound that functions in the brain and body of many types of animals (including humans) as a neurotransmitter. Its name is derived from its chemical structure: it is an ester of acetic acid and choline. Par ...
****
Pseudocholinesterase, broad substrate specificity, found in the
blood plasma
Blood plasma is a light Amber (color), amber-colored liquid component of blood in which blood cells are absent, but which contains Blood protein, proteins and other constituents of whole blood in Suspension (chemistry), suspension. It makes up ...
and in the
liver
The liver is a major metabolic organ (anatomy), organ exclusively found in vertebrates, which performs many essential biological Function (biology), functions such as detoxification of the organism, and the Protein biosynthesis, synthesis of var ...
**
Pectinesterase (EC 3.1.1.11), clarifies fruit juices
* ''EC 3.1.2'':
Thiolester hydrolases
In organic chemistry, thioesters are organosulfur compounds with the molecular structure . They are analogous to carboxylate esters () with the sulfur in the thioester replacing oxygen in the carboxylate ester, as implied by the thio- prefix. ...
**
Thioesterase
***
Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1
Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (, ''ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase'', ''UCH-L1'') is a deubiquitinating enzyme.
Function
UCH-L1 is a member of a gene family whose products hydrolyze small C-terminal adducts of ubiquitin to generate ...
* ''EC 3.1.3'':
Phosphoric monoester hydrolases
**
Phosphatase
In biochemistry, a phosphatase is an enzyme that uses water to cleave a phosphoric acid Ester, monoester into a phosphate ion and an Alcohol (chemistry), alcohol. Because a phosphatase enzyme catalysis, catalyzes the hydrolysis of its Substrate ...
(EC 3.1.3.x), hydrolyses
phosphoric acid monoesters into a
phosphate
Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus.
In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...
ion and an alcohol
***
Alkaline phosphatase, removes phosphate groups from many types of molecules, including nucleotides, proteins, and alkaloids.
***
Phosphodiesterase (PDE), inactivates the
second messenger
Second messengers are intracellular signaling molecules released by the cell in response to exposure to extracellular signaling molecules—the first messengers. (Intercellular signals, a non-local form of cell signaling, encompassing both first m ...
cAMP
****
cGMP specific phosphodiesterase type 5, is inhibited by
Sildenafil
Sildenafil, sold under the brand name Viagra among others, is a medication used to treat erectile dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary arterial hypertension. It is also sometimes used off-label for the treatment of certain sym ...
(Viagra)
**
Fructose bisphosphatase (3.1.3.11), converts fructose-1,6-bisphosphate to fructose-6-phosphate in
gluconeogenesis
Gluconeogenesis (GNG) is a metabolic pathway that results in the biosynthesis of glucose from certain non-carbohydrate carbon substrates. It is a ubiquitous process, present in plants, animals, fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms. In verte ...
* ''EC 3.1.4'':
Phosphoric diester hydrolases
* ''EC 3.1.5'':
Triphosphoric monoester hydrolases
* ''EC 3.1.6'':
Sulfuric ester hydrolases (
sulfatases)
* ''EC 3.1.7'':
Diphosphoric monoester hydrolases
* ''EC 3.1.8'':
Phosphoric triester hydrolases
*
Exonuclease
Exonucleases are enzymes that work by cleaving nucleotides one at a time from the end (exo) of a polynucleotide chain. A hydrolyzing reaction that breaks phosphodiester bonds at either the 3′ or the 5′ end occurs. Its close relative is th ...
s (
deoxyribonucleases and
ribonucleases)
** ''EC 3.1.11'':
Exodeoxyribonucleases producing
5'-phosphomonoesters
** ''EC 3.1.13'':
Exoribonucleases producing
5'-phosphomonoesters
** ''EC 3.1.14'':
Exoribonucleases producing
3'-phosphomonoesters
** ''EC 3.1.15'':
Exonucleases
Exonucleases are enzymes that work by cleaving nucleotides one at a time from the end (exo) of a polynucleotide chain. A hydrolysis, hydrolyzing reaction that breaks phosphodiester bonds at either the 3′ or the Directionality (molecular biolog ...
active with either ribo- or deoxy-
*
Endonuclease
In molecular biology, endonucleases are enzymes that cleave the phosphodiester bond within a polynucleotide chain (namely DNA or RNA). Some, such as deoxyribonuclease I, cut DNA relatively nonspecifically (with regard to sequence), while man ...
s (
deoxyribonucleases and
ribonucleases)
**
Endodeoxyribonuclease
**
Endoribonuclease
** either deoxy- or ribo-
See also
*
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 ...
*
List of enzymes
Enzymes are listed here by their classification in the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology's Enzyme Commission (EC) numbering system:
:Oxidoreductases (EC 1) ( Oxidoreductase)
* Dehydrogenase
* Luciferase
* DMSO reduct ...
*
Carboxylic acid
In organic chemistry, a carboxylic acid is an organic acid that contains a carboxyl group () attached to an Substituent, R-group. The general formula of a carboxylic acid is often written as or , sometimes as with R referring to an organyl ...
*
Ester
In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...
*
Leukocyte esterase
*
Hemagglutinin esterase
Hemagglutinin esterase (HEs) is a glycoprotein that certain enveloped viruses possess and use as an invading mechanism. HEs helps in the attachment and destruction of certain sialic acid receptors that are found on the host cell surface. V ...
*
Nuclease
In biochemistry, a nuclease (also archaically known as nucleodepolymerase or polynucleotidase) is an enzyme capable of cleaving the phosphodiester bonds that link nucleotides together to form nucleic acids. Nucleases variously affect single and ...
*
Lipase
In biochemistry, lipase ( ) refers to a class of enzymes that catalyzes the hydrolysis of fats. Some lipases display broad substrate scope including esters of cholesterol, phospholipids, and of lipid-soluble vitamins and sphingomyelinases; howe ...
*
Asymmetric ester hydrolysis with pig-liver esterase
External links
Enzyme nomenclature
{{Authority control
Hydrolases
Esters
Neurophysiology