Poly(alpha-L-guluronate) lyase

The enzyme guluronate-specific alginate lyase (, formerly called '''poly(α- L -guluronate) lyase) catalyzes the following process:


 * Eliminative cleavage of alginate to give oligosaccharides with 4-deoxy-α- L -erythro-hex-4-enuronosyl groups at their non-reducing ends and α- L -uluronate at their reducing end.

This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically those carbon-oxygen lyases acting on polysaccharides. The systematic name of this enzyme class is alginate α- L -guluronate—uronate lyase. Other names in common use include alginase II, guluronate lyase,  L -guluronan lyase,  L -guluronate lyase, poly-α- L -guluronate lyase, and polyguluronate-specific alginate lyase.

Structural studies
As of late 2007, only one structure has been solved for this class of enzymes, with the PDB accession code.