| Type: | Domain | Name: | Glycoside hydrolase, family 45 |
| Description: | O-Glycosyl hydrolases () are a widespread group of enzymes that hydrolyse the glycosidic bond between two or more carbohydrates, or between a carbohydrate and a non-carbohydrate moiety. A classification system for glycosyl hydrolases, based on sequence similarity, has led to the definition of 85 different families [, ]. This classification is available on the CAZy (CArbohydrate-Active EnZymes) web site.Glycoside hydrolase family 45 comprises enzymes with only one known activity; endoglucanase ().The microbial degradation of cellulose and xylans requires several types of enzymes such as endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases () (exoglucanases), or xylanases () [, ].Fungi and bacteria produce a spectrum of cellulolytic enzymes (cellulases) and xylanases which, on thebasis of sequence similarities, can be classified into families. One of these families is known as the cellulase family K or as the glycosyl hydrolasesfamily 45 [].The best conserved regions in these enzymes is located in the N-terminal section. It contains an aspartic acid residue which has been shown [] to actas a nucleophile in the catalytic mechanism. This also has several cysteines that are involved in forming disulphide bridges. | Short Name: | Glyco_hydro_45 |
