Oxidases

Oxidoreductase class enzymes (EC 1.1.3) are widely distributed in nature. In living cells, these enzymes catalyze oxidation-reduction reactions, where the hydrogen donor is the CH-OH group, and the acceptor is atmospheric oxygen. By transferring a hydrogen ion from the oxidizable substrate to O₂, water or hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is formed. Structurally, some oxidases are metal enzymes (e.g., tyrosinase, ascorbate oxidase with a copper ion at the active site), while others are flavoproteins (e.g., glucose oxidase, EC 1.1.3.4). The reaction catalyzed by the latter enzyme is the oxidation of β-D-glucose, resulting in D-glucono-1,5-lactone:

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė