The
enzyme D-dopachrome 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
:
D-dopachrome
5,6-dihydroxyindole
Melanin (; from el, μέλας, melas, black, dark) is a broad term for a group of natural pigments found in most organisms. Eumelanin is produced through a multistage chemical process known as melanogenesis, where the oxidation of the amino ...
+ CO
2
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 of this enzyme class is D-dopachrome carboxy-lyase (5,6-dihydroxyindole-forming). Other names in common use include phenylpyruvate tautomerase II, D-tautomerase, D-dopachrome tautomerase, and D-dopachrome carboxy-lyase.
References
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EC 4.1.1
Enzymes of unknown structure
{{4.1-enzyme-stub