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:
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 (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