Esterase

An esterase is a hydrolase enzyme that splits esters into an acid and an alcohol in a chemical reaction with water called hydrolysis.

A wide range of different esterases exist that differ in their substrate specificity, their protein structure, and their biological function.

EC classification/list of enzymes

- Acetylesterase (EC 3.1.1.6), splits off acetyl groups
  - Cholinesterase
    - Acetylcholinesterase, inactivates the neurotransmitter acetylcholine
    - Pseudocholinesterase, broad substrate specificity, found in the blood plasma and in the liver
- Pectinesterase (EC 3.1.1.11), clarifies fruit juices

v t e Enzymes
Activity	Active site Binding site Catalytic triad Oxyanion hole Enzyme promiscuity Diffusion-limited enzyme Cofactor Enzyme catalysis
Regulation	Allosteric regulation Cooperativity Enzyme inhibitor Enzyme activator
Classification	EC number Enzyme superfamily Enzyme family List of enzymes
Kinetics	Enzyme kinetics Eadie–Hofstee diagram Hanes–Woolf plot Lineweaver–Burk plot Michaelis–Menten kinetics
Types	EC1 Oxidoreductases (list) EC2 Transferases (list) EC3 Hydrolases (list) EC4 Lyases (list) EC5 Isomerases (list) EC6 Ligases (list) EC7 Translocases (list)