esterase
Ester bond breaker
An esterase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breakdown of esters into an acid and an alcohol through a reaction with water.
These enzymes play essential roles in metabolism, digestion, and detoxification processes throughout the body.
Different types of esterases target specific ester bonds, such as lipases that break down fats and cholinesterases that regulate neurotransmitters.
The term appears frequently in biochemistry and pharmacology contexts.
Water-induced bond cleavage
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- lipidWater-insoluble organic compound
- metabolismCellular nutrient conversion
- cholesterolWaxy lipid in blood
biotransformation · detoxification · drug metabolism · lipase · serine · organophosphate · triglyceride · phospholipid
Enzyme region binding substrates
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- kineticsScience of motion forces
- inhibitorAgent that slows reactions
- specificityExactness of detail
mechanism · turnover · Michaelis-Menten · activation energy · induced fit · cofactor
Folded amino chain
- polypeptideAmino acid polymer
- amino acidProtein's molecular subunit
- serineProtein-forming amino acid
- histidineAmino acid, essential early
aspartate · active site · glycoprotein · subunit · dimer · crystallography
Enzyme cleaving via water
- lipaseFat-dissolving enzyme
- phosphatasePhosphate-cleaving enzyme
hydrolysis
Water-induced bond cleavage
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- lipidWater-insoluble organic compound
- metabolismCellular nutrient conversion
cholesterol · biotransformation · detoxification · drug metabolism · lipase · serine · organophosphate · triglyceride · phospholipid · neurotransmitter
active site
Enzyme region binding substrates
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
- kineticsScience of motion forces
- inhibitorAgent that slows reactions
specificity · mechanism · turnover · Michaelis-Menten · activation energy · induced fit · cofactor
protein
Folded amino chain
- polypeptideAmino acid polymer
- amino acidProtein's molecular subunit
- serineProtein-forming amino acid
histidine · aspartate · active site · glycoprotein · subunit · dimer · crystallography
hydrolase
Enzyme cleaving via water
- lipaseFat-dissolving enzyme
- phosphatasePhosphate-cleaving enzyme
esterasesynthase
Bond-forming enzyme
ligase · transferase · polymerase · lipase · hydrolase