ENZYMES NOMENCLATURE AND

CLASSIFICATION

FENL501: Food Enzymology 3(2-1)

Maryam Fatima LECTURER

FST RIUF
 ENZYMES
• Biologic polymers that catalyze the chemical
reactions
• Enzymes are neither consumed nor permanently
altered because of their participation in a
reaction
• Except for catalytic RNA molecules, or ribozymes,
enzymes are proteins in nature.
• In addition to being highly efficient, enzymes are
also extremely selective catalysts.
 Nomenclature of enzymes
a) Based on the type of reaction catalyzed
(followed by the suffix –ase)
b) Based on the nature of substrate
c) Based on the source of enzyme
d) Based on its regulation
e) Trival names
 Nomenclature of enzymes
a) Based on the type of reaction catalyzed
(followed by the suffix –ase)
• Dehydrogenase
• Protease
• Isomerase
• Reductase
• Transferase
 Nomenclature of enzymes
b) Based on the nature
of substrate
• Glucokinase
• Hexokinase
• Xanthine oxidase
• Alcohol
dehydrogenase
 Nomenclature of enzymes
c) Based on the source
of enzyme
• Pancreatic lipase
• Gastric lipase
• Salivary amylase
• Muscle phosphorylase
• Hepatic phosphorylase
 Nomenclature of enzymes
d) Based on its regulation
Hormone specific lipase
e) Random names
• Trypsin
• Pepsin
 Systematic Names of enzymes
• The International Union of Biochemists (IUB)
classification
• Each enzyme has a unique name and code
number that identifies the type of reaction
catalyzed, and the substrates involved.
• Enzymes are grouped into six classes.
 Class-1- Oxidoreductases
The oxidoreductases catalyze the transfer of
reducing equivalents(hydrogen and electrons)from
one redox system to another.
Examples:Dehydrogenase, oxidase, oxygenase,
hydro peroxidase
• Lactate dehydrogenase
• Alcohol dehydrogenase
• Aldehyde dehydrogenase
• Xanthine oxidase
• Cytochrome oxidase
Reaction catalyzed by dehydrogenase
 Class 2- Transferases
• The transferases catalyze the transfer of other
groups from one molecule to another.
Oxidoreductases and transferases generally
require coenzymes.
Examples:
• Amino transferase
• Glucosyl transferase
• Methyl transferase
• Phospho transferase
 Class 3- Hydrolases
• The hydrolases cause cleavage of bond using
water.
Examples:
• Protease
• Peptidase
• Glycosidase
• Phosphatase
 Class 4 Lyases
• The Lyases catalyze reactions involving either the
cleavage or formation of chemical bonds (also
known as synthases)
• with double bonds either arising or disappearing
• Cleavage of bond does not require water.
• Lyases usually break C-C, C-O, C-N, or C-S linkages.
Examples: Fumarase, Arginosuccinase, glutamate
decarboxylase
 Class 5- Isomerases
• The isomerases move groups within a
molecule, without changing the gross
composition of the substrate.
Examples:
• Epimerase
• Aldose ketose isomerase
• Mutase
 Class 6- Ligases
• The ligation reactions catalyzed by ligases
(“synthetases,” class 6) are energy-dependent
and are therefore always coupled to the
hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates.
• Examples:
• DNA Ligase
• Pyruvate carboxylase
• Acetyl Co A carboxylase
Reaction catalyzed by ligases
Enzyme Commission number (EC number)

• Each enzyme is entered in the Enzyme

Catalogue with a four-digit Enzyme
Commission number (EC number).
• The first digit indicates membership of one of
the six major classes. The next two indicate
subclasses and sub-subclasses.
• The last digit indicates where the enzyme
belongs in the sub-subclass.
Enzyme Commission number (EC number)

• The IUB name of hexokinase is ATP:D-hexose 6-

phosphotransferase E.C. 2.7.1.1.
• This name identifies hexokinase as a member of
class 2 (transferases), subclass 7 (transfer of a
phosphoryl group),
• sub-subclass 1 (alcohol is the phosphoryl acceptor),
• and "hexose-6" indicates that the alcohol
phosphorylated is on carbon six of a hexose.
• However, it is still called as hexokinase.
EC number
• ANY QUESTIONS…….?