Lyases is spelled with two syllables: /laɪ ə sɪz/. The word is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable. The first syllable "ly" is pronounced with the long "i" sound, like in "lie" or "eye". The second syllable "ases" is pronounced with a short "a" sound, like in "apple", followed by a "z" sound and a neutral vowel "schwa". Lyases are enzymes that catalyze the breakage of chemical bonds, particularly those found in different types of organic molecules.
Lyases are a class of enzymes that catalyze chemical reactions, specifically those involving the breaking or formation of covalent bonds within a molecule. These enzymes belong to the larger group of hydrolases, which are responsible for breaking down chemical compounds by adding or removing water molecules. Unlike hydrolases, lyases carry out reactions without the addition or removal of water, resulting in the breaking of bonds or the formation of new bonds.
Lyases primarily work by facilitating a process known as elimination or addition, where a molecule is separated into two or more products. This process occurs by the removal of specific functional groups from the molecule or the addition of functional groups to form new bonds. The reactions catalyzed by lyases play vital roles in various biological processes, including cellular metabolism, DNA repair, and even in the production of certain plant pigments.
Lyases are classified into different subgroups based on the specific reaction they catalyze. For example, decarboxylases are a type of lyase that remove carboxyl groups from organic compounds, while aldolases facilitate the formation or cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds. Other examples include synthases, which facilitate the synthesis of new molecules, and dehydratases, which catalyze the removal of water molecules.
In summary, lyases are a diverse group of enzymes that play important roles in various chemical reactions by catalyzing the breaking or formation of covalent bonds. Their ability to carry out these reactions without the addition or removal of water makes them distinct from other classes of enzymes.
The word "lyases" is derived from the term "lysis", which comes from the Greek word "lusis" meaning "loosening" or "unbinding". "Lyases" is the plural form of "lyase", a type of enzyme that catalyzes a cleavage process known as "lysis", where chemical bonds are broken within molecules. The term was coined to describe these enzymes' ability to break down or cleave specific substrates, which led to the naming convention of adding "-ase" to the end of the word to identify it as an enzyme.