Degradative enzyme

A degradative enzyme is an enzyme (in a broader sense a protein) which degrades biological molecules. Some examples of degradative enzymes:

• Lipase, which digests lipids,[1]
• Carbohydrases, which digest carbohydrates (e.g., sugars),[2]
• Proteases, which digest proteins,[3][4]
• Nucleases, which digest nucleic acids.
• Cathelicidins, antimicrobial polypeptides found in lysosomes.

References

1. Svendsen A (2000). "Lipase protein engineering". Biochim Biophys Acta. 1543 (2): 223–228. doi:10.1016/S0167-4838(00)00239-9. PMID 11150608.
2. Jermyn, M. A. (1957). "Mechanism of Carbohydrase Action". Science. 125 (3236): 12–15. Bibcode:1957Sci...125...12J. doi:10.1126/science.125.3236.12. PMID 13390960. S2CID 45702245.
3. Barrett A.J., Rawlings ND, Woessner JF. The Handbook of Proteolytic Enzymes, 2nd ed. Academic Press, 2003. ISBN 0-12-079610-4.
4. Hedstrom L. Serine Protease Mechanism and Specificity. Chem Rev 2002;102:4501-4523.

See also

• Hydrolase