Carboxylesterases classification

Carboxylesterases Esterases that hydrolyze organic compounds with carboxylester bonds. Carboxylesterases that are inhibited by organophosphates (OPs) belong to the category EC 3.1.1.1 in the lUB classification of enzymes. 

Second, esterases have broad (or even very broad) and overlapping substrate specificities. For example, carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1) also catalyzes reactions characteristic of a number of other hydrolases. The discovery that individual isoenzymes of carboxylesterases may be identical to or closely related to acylglycerol lipase, acylcamitine hydrolase, and palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase (see Sect. 2.4.3) has increased the confusion surrounding esterase classification [59], Many esterases are able to hydrolyze amides, thiolesters,... 

Table 2.6. Classification of Rat Liver Carboxylesterases Based on pi Value (taken from [73])...

The first esterases to be characterized by sequence were identified by ES numbers [79] [80], Important efforts are now devoted to sequencing, and, as a result, correspondence to the p7 classification has appeared. Thus, microsomal carboxylesterase ES10 is probably identical to p/ 6.1, and esterases ES4 and ESI5 correspond to the p7 5.0 and p7 6.216A enzymes, respectively [74a]. 

In humans, erythrocytes contain an esterase that displays genetic polymorphism [86], This esterase has been called esterase D (ES-D), a name without connection to the above-presented A-, B-, and C-classification. Three carboxylesterases named HU1, HU2, and HU3 have been found in human liver microsomes. Other tissues where esterases have been found include brain, plasma, stomach, small intestine, and colon [79]. 

Table 2.7. Classification and Nomenclature for the Carboxylesterases (taken from [79])...

Thiolester hydrolases are present in most tissues and cell compartments. High concentrations are found in liver microsomes and in brown adipose tissue mitochondria and peroxisomes. Several acyl-CoA hydrolases have shown a close relationship to the nonspecific carboxylesterases EC 3.1.1.1. Thus, palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase purified from rat liver microsomes was found to be identical to esterase pI 6.2I6A (ES4 type). An acyl-CoA hydrolase was isolated that showed high similarity to esterase pI 6.1 [74a] [129] [130]. These few examples are further illustrations of the unsatisfying situation of the traditional classification of esterases. 

Pancreatic carboxylester lipase, secreted by the pancreas as an active enzyme without proteolytic activation, displays broad substrate specificity and has therefore received many names in the literature carboxylesterase, bile salt-stimulated (or activated or dependent) lipase (due to its absolute requirement for bile salts to hydrolyze insoluble substrates), carboxylester lipase or hydrolase, cholesterol esterase, lysophospholipase, nonspecific lipase, and monoglyceride lipase. The IUPAC classification of the enzyme has been either EC.3.1.1.1 (carboxylester hydrolase) or EC.3.1.1.13 (cholesterolester hydrolase) (Table 2). 

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