Carboxy-lyases, also known as decarboxylases, are carbon–carbon lyases that add or remove a carboxyl group from organic compounds. These enzymes catalyze the decarboxylation of amino acids, beta-keto acids and alpha-keto acids.^[1]

Classification and nomenclature

Carboxy-lyases are categorized under EC number 4.1.1.^[2] Usually, they are named after the substrate whose decarboxylation they catalyze, for example pyruvate decarboxylase catalyzes the decarboxylation of pyruvate.

Examples

• Aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase
• Glutamate decarboxylase
• Histidine decarboxylase
• Ornithine decarboxylase
• Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase
• Pyruvate decarboxylase
• RuBisCO – the only carboxylase that leads to a net fixation of carbon dioxide
• Uridine monophosphate synthetase
• Uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase
• enoyl-CoA carboxylases/reductases (ECRs)^[3]