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enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

6-methylsalicylate decarboxylase ()

catalyzes Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

the

chemical reaction A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the IUPAC nomenclature for organic transformations, chemical transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. Classically, chemical reactions encompass changes that only involve the pos ...

:6-methylsalicylate

\rightleftharpoons

3-cresol + CO₂ This enzyme belongs to the family of

lyase In biochemistry, a lyase is an enzyme that catalyzes the breaking (an elimination reaction) of various chemical bonds by means other than hydrolysis (a substitution reaction) and oxidation, often forming a new double bond or a new ring structure. ...

s, specifically the carboxy-lyases, which cleave carbon-carbon bonds. The

systematic name A systematic name is a name given in a systematic way to one unique group, organism, object or chemical substance, out of a specific population or collection. Systematic names are usually part of a nomenclature. A semisystematic name or semitrivial ...

of this enzyme class is 6-methylsalicylate carboxy-lyase (3-cresol-forming). Other names in common use include 6-methylsalicylic acid (2,6-cresotic acid) decarboxylase, 6-MSA decarboxylase, and 6-methylsalicylate carboxy-lyase.

References

* * EC 4.1.1 Enzymes of unknown structure {{4.1-enzyme-stub