Hydrolase

In biochemistry, a hydrolase 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

Additional recommended knowledge

Essential Laboratory Skills Guide

Safe Weighing Range Ensures Accurate Results

What is the Correct Way to Check Repeatability in Balances?

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 (glycosylases/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: sulfur-nitrogen bonds
• EC 3.11: carbon-phosphorus bonds
• EC 3.12: sulfur-sulfur bonds
• EC 3.13: carbon-sulfur bonds

References

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