Lyase


In biochemistry, a lyase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breaking of various chemical bonds by means other than hydrolysis and oxidation, often forming a new double bond or a new ring structure. The reverse reaction is also possible. For example, an enzyme that catalyzed this reaction would be a lyase:
Lyases differ from other enzymes in that they require only one substrate for the reaction in one direction, but two substrates for the reverse reaction.

Nomenclature

Systematic names are formed as "substrate group-lyase." Common names include decarboxylase, dehydratase, aldolase, etc. When the product is more important, synthase may be used in the name, e.g. phosphosulfolactate synthase.
A combination of both an elimination and a Michael addition is seen in O-succinylhomoserine -lyase which catalyses first the γ-elimination of O-succinylhomoserine and then the addition of sulfide to the vinyl intermediate, this reaction was first classified as a lyase, but was then reclassified as a transferase.

Classification

Lyases are classified as EC 4 in the EC number classification of enzymes. Lyases can be further classified into seven subclasses:
Some lyases associate with biological membranes as peripheral membrane proteins or anchored through a single transmembrane helix.