Thioesterases are enzymes which belong to the Esterase

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...

 family. Esterases, in turn, are one type of the several hydrolases known.

Thioesterases exhibit Esterase activity (splitting of an ester into acid and alcohol, in the presence of water) specifically at a thiol

Thiol

In organic chemistry, a thiol is an organosulfur compound that contains a carbon-bonded sulfhydryl group...

 group.

Thioesterases or thiolester hydrolases are identified as members of E.C.3.1.2.

Examples

Acetyl-coA hydrolase

Acetyl-CoA hydrolase

In enzymology, an acetyl-CoA hydrolase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are acetyl-CoA and H2O, whereas its two products are CoA and acetate....

, palmitoyl-coA hydrolase

Palmitoyl protein thioesterase

Palmitoyl protein thioesterases are enzymes that remove thioester-linked fatty acyl groups such as palmitate from modified cysteine residues in proteins or peptides during lysosomal degradation....

, succinyl-coA hydrolase

Succinyl-CoA hydrolase

In enzymology, a succinyl-CoA hydrolase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are succinyl-CoA and H2O, whereas its two products are CoA and succinate....

, formyl-coA hydrolase

Formyl-CoA hydrolase

In enzymology, a formyl-CoA hydrolase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are formyl-CoA and H2O, whereas its two products are CoA and formate....

, acyl-coA hydrolase

Acyl-CoA hydrolase

In enzymology, an acyl-CoA hydrolase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are acyl-CoA and H2O, whereas its two products are CoA and carboxylate....

 are a few examples of this group of enzymes.

Ubiquitin thiolesterase is a well-known example, whose structure has been analyzed.

Humans genes which encode thiolesterases include:

ACOT1, ACOT2

ACOT2

Acyl-CoA thioesterase 2, also known as ACOT2, is an enzyme which in humans is encoded by the ACOT2 gene.Acyl-CoA thioesterases, such as ACOT2, are a group of enzymes that hydrolyze Coenzyme A esters, such as acyl-CoAs, bile CoAs, and CoA esters of prostaglandins, to the corresponding free acid and...

, ACOT4

ACOT4

Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 4 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACOT4 gene.-Further reading:...

, ACOT6, ACOT7

ACOT7

Cytosolic acyl coenzyme A thioester hydrolase is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACOT7 gene.-Further reading:...

, ACOT8

ACOT8

Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 8 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACOT8 gene.-Further reading:...

, ACOT9, ACOT11

ACOT11

Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 11 also known as StAR-related lipid transfer protein 14 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACOT11 gene.-Further reading:...

(STARD14), ACOT12

ACOT12

Acyl-coenzyme A thioesterase 12 or StAR-related lipid transfer protein 15 is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ACOT12 gene. The protein contains a StAR-related lipid transfer domain.-Further reading:...

 (STARD15), OLAH

Oláh

Oláh is a Hungarian surname that means Vlach . It may refer to:*György Oláh , Nobel Prize winning Hungarian and American chemist*Ibolya Oláh , a Hungarian singer*Katalin Oláh, a Hungarian orienteering competitor...

, PPT1

Palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase

In enzymology, a palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are palmitoyl-CoA and H2O, whereas its two products are CoA and palmitate....

, PPT2

Palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase

In enzymology, a palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reactionThus, the two substrates of this enzyme are palmitoyl-CoA and H2O, whereas its two products are CoA and palmitate....

, THEM2 (ACOT13), THEM4, THEM4P1, THEM5