1. Plural of lyase; a class of enzymes that catalyze the breaking of chemical bonds by means other than hydrolysis or oxidation, often producing a double bond or a new ring structure.
Usage: biochemistry; technical

Examples

• Lyases are essential enzymes in metabolic pathways throughout living organisms.
• The decarboxylases are a major group of lyases that remove carbon dioxide from substrates.
• Aldolases are lyases that catalyze the cleavage of carbon-carbon bonds.
• Many lyases play critical roles in both anabolic and catabolic reactions.
• Researchers study lyases to understand enzyme mechanisms and develop new biotechnologies.