POLYSACCHARIDE LYASES Meaning and
Definition
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Polysaccharide lyases refer to a group of enzymes that catalyze the cleavage of polysaccharides through a non-hydrolytic mechanism. These enzymes are responsible for breaking the glycosidic bonds that hold together the sugar building blocks within polysaccharides, resulting in the degradation of complex carbohydrate structures. Polysaccharide lyases play a crucial role in various biological processes, including microbial degradation of plant cell walls, bacterial pathogenesis, and the enzymatic production of oligosaccharides.
The mechanism by which polysaccharide lyases act involves the formation of a transient Schiff base intermediate between a conserved active site residue of the enzyme and the reducing end of the polysaccharide chain. This step is followed by a β-elimination reaction, resulting in the formation of a double bond between the C1 and C4 atoms, leading to the scission of the glycosidic bond.
Polysaccharide lyases exhibit specificity towards certain types of substrates, such as pectin, alginate, hyaluronate, chondroitin, and heparin. These enzymes are categorized into different families based on their amino acid sequence similarity and catalytic mechanism.
The applications of polysaccharide lyases are diverse and include the production of bioactive oligosaccharides, modification of carbohydrate structures for functional purposes, and the development of enzyme-based strategies for the depolymerization of natural polysaccharides to obtain valuable products.
Common Misspellings for POLYSACCHARIDE LYASES
- oolysaccharide lyases
- lolysaccharide lyases
- -olysaccharide lyases
- 0olysaccharide lyases
- pilysaccharide lyases
- pklysaccharide lyases
- pllysaccharide lyases
- pplysaccharide lyases
- p0lysaccharide lyases
- p9lysaccharide lyases
- pokysaccharide lyases
- popysaccharide lyases
- pooysaccharide lyases
- poltsaccharide lyases
- polgsaccharide lyases
- polhsaccharide lyases
- polusaccharide lyases
- pol7saccharide lyases
- pol6saccharide lyases
- polyaaccharide lyases
Etymology of POLYSACCHARIDE LYASES
The word "polysaccharide" has its origins in the Greek language. "Poly" means "many" and "saccharide" comes from the Greek word "sakkharon" meaning "sugar". Thus, "polysaccharide" can be translated as "many sugars" or "many sugar units".
The term "lyases" is derived from the verb "to lyse", which means to break down or split apart. In the field of biochemistry, lyases refer to enzymes that catalyze the cleavage or breaking of chemical bonds. The suffix "-ase" is commonly used to denote enzymes.
Therefore, the term "polysaccharide lyases" refers to enzymes that specifically catalyze the cleavage or breakdown of polysaccharides, which are complex carbohydrates made up of multiple sugar units.
