An oxalate degrading enzyme is a type 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

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

biodegradation Biodegradation is the breakdown of organic matter by microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi. It is generally assumed to be a natural process, which differentiates it from composting. Composting is a human-driven process in which biodegrada ...

oxalate Oxalate (systematic IUPAC name: ethanedioate) is an anion with the chemical formula . This dianion is colorless. It occurs naturally, including in some foods. It forms a variety of salts, for example sodium oxalate (), and several esters such as ...

. Enzymes in this class include

oxalate oxidase In enzymology, an oxalate oxidase () is an oxalate degrading enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction: :oxalate + O2 + 2 H+ \rightleftharpoons 2 CO2 + H2O2 The 3 substrates of this enzyme are oxalate, O2, and H+, whereas its two product ...

oxalate decarboxylase In enzymology, an oxalate decarboxylase () is an oxalate degrading enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction :oxalate + H+ \rightleftharpoons formate + CO2 Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are oxalate and H+, whereas its two products ...

, oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase, and

formyl-CoA transferase In enzymology, a formyl-CoA transferase () is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction :formyl-CoA + oxalate \rightleftharpoons formate + oxalyl-CoA Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are formyl-CoA and oxalate, whereas its two prod ...

Specific enzymes

Oxalate oxidase （

Enzyme Commission number The Enzyme Commission number (EC number) is a numerical classification scheme for enzymes, based on the chemical reactions they catalyze. As a system of enzyme nomenclature, every EC number is associated with a recommended name for the correspon ...

）occurs mainly in plants. It can degrade

oxalic acid Oxalic acid is an organic acid with the systematic name ethanedioic acid and chemical formula , also written as or or . It is the simplest dicarboxylic acid. It is a white crystalline solid that forms a colorless solution in water. Its name i ...

into carbon dioxide and

hydrogen peroxide Hydrogen peroxide is a chemical compound with the formula . In its pure form, it is a very pale blue liquid that is slightly more viscosity, viscous than Properties of water, water. It is used as an oxidizer, bleaching agent, and antiseptic, usua ...

. Oxalate decarboxylase (OXDC，) is a kind of oxalate degrading enzyme containing Mn²⁺, found mainly in fungi or some bacteria. Brown rot fungi secrete oxalate to break down

cellulose Cellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of glycosidic bond, β(1→4) linked glucose, D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important s ...

fibers of wood, but deploy this enzyme to permit regulatory control over the total quantity of oxalate present. It can appear in the absence of other cofactors under the action of the degradation of oxalic acid directly to form formic acid and CO₂. Oxalyl-CoA decarboxylase（）mainly mediates degradation of bacterial oxalic acid. Formyl-CoA transferase （）mediates the exchange of oxalyl and formyl groups on

coenzyme A Coenzyme A (CoA, SHCoA, CoASH) is a coenzyme, notable for its role in the Fatty acid metabolism#Synthesis, synthesis and Fatty acid metabolism#.CE.B2-Oxidation, oxidation of fatty acids, and the oxidation of pyruvic acid, pyruvate in the citric ac ...

, interconverting formyl-CoA and oxalyl-CoA.

Calcium oxalate stones and oxalate degrading enzymes

Calcium oxalate Calcium oxalate (in archaic terminology, oxalate of lime) is a calcium salt of oxalic acid with the chemical formula or . It forms hydrates , where ''n'' varies from 1 to 3. Anhydrous and all hydrated forms are colorless or white. The monohydr ...

is the main component of the most common type of

kidney stone Kidney stone disease (known as nephrolithiasis, renal calculus disease, or urolithiasis) is a crystallopathy and occurs when there are too many minerals in the urine and not enough liquid or hydration. This imbalance causes tiny pieces of cr ...

in humans.

References

{{reflist Oxalates Enzymes