In
enzymology, an alpha-L-fucosidase () is an
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 ...
that
catalyzes 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 ...
:an alpha-L-fucoside + H
2O
L-fucose + an alcohol
Thus, the two
substrates of this enzyme are
alpha-L-fucoside and
H2O, whereas its two
products
Product may refer to:
Business
* Product (business), an item that serves as a solution to a specific consumer problem.
* Product (project management), a deliverable or set of deliverables that contribute to a business solution
Mathematics
* Produ ...
are
L-fucose and
alcohol.
This enzyme belongs to the family of
hydrolase
Hydrolase is a class of enzyme that commonly perform as biochemical catalysts that use water to break a chemical bond, which typically results in dividing a larger molecule into smaller molecules. Some common examples of hydrolase enzymes are este ...
s, specifically those glycosidases that hydrolyse O- and S-glycosyl compounds. 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 alpha-L-fucoside fucohydrolase. This enzyme is also called alpha-fucosidase. This enzyme participates in
n-glycan degradation and
glycan structures - degradation.
Deficiency of this enzyme is called
Fucosidosis
Fucosidosis is a rare lysosomal storage disorder in which the FUCA1 gene experiences mutations that severely reduce or stop the activity of the alpha-L-fucosidase enzyme. The result is a buildup of complex sugars in parts of the body, which lead ...
.
In
CAZy
CAZy is a database of Carbohydrate-Active enZYmes (CAZymes). The database contains a classification and associated information about enzymes involved in the synthesis, metabolism, and recognition of complex carbohydrates, i.e. disaccharides, olig ...
, alpha-L-fucosidases are found in
glycoside hydrolase family 29 and
glycoside hydrolase family 95.
Structural studies
As of late 2007, 3
structures
A structure is an arrangement and organization of interrelated elements in a material object or system, or the object or system so organized. Material structures include man-made objects such as buildings and machines and natural objects such as ...
have been solved for this class of enzymes, with
PDB accession codes , , and .
Human medical studies
It was in a recent study by Endreffy,
Bjørklund and collaborators (2017) found an association between the activity of α-L-fucosidase-1 (FUCA-1) and chronic autoimmune disorders in children.
[Endreffy I, Bjørklund G, Szerafin L, Urbina MA, Chirumbolo S, Endreffy E. Plasma alpha-L-fucosidase activity in chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders in a pediatric cohort of hospitalized patients. Immunologic Research 2017. doi: 10.1007/s12026-017-8943-x.] This should encourage further research on FUCA-1 as a marker of chronic inflammation and autoimmunity.
See also
*
1,2-alpha-L-fucosidase
*
1,3-alpha-L-fucosidase
*
1,6-alpha-L-fucosidase
*
FUCA2
References
Further reading
*
*
*
External links
CAZy family GH29
Protein families
EC 3.2.1
Enzymes of known structure
{{3.2-enzyme-stub