Reduttasi

Reduttasi are enzymes that catalyze reduction reactions, meaning they facilitate the transfer of electrons to substrates. In biology, they participate in a wide range of processes, including metabolism, biosynthesis, and detoxification, by converting carbonyl groups to alcohols, nitro groups to amines, and other reduced products. They typically rely on cofactors such as NADH, NADPH, FAD, or FMN to donate electrons.

Reductases are defined by their role in reducing substrates, which distinguishes them from oxidases and, in some contexts, from dehydrogenases. They can be classified by cofactor dependence or by substrate type. Prominent families include NADPH-dependent aldo-keto reductases (AKR) and short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR), which act on carbonyl compounds and related substrates. Other reductases, such as nitroreductases and azoreductases, reduce nitro and azo bonds, often leveraging flavin cofactors to drive the reaction. Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) is a well-known example that reduces dihydrofolate to tetrahydrofolate, a critical step in nucleotide biosynthesis.

Reductases have broad relevance in health and industry. In medicine, reductive steps can activate or detoxify drugs, and DHFR inhibitors are key in cancer and antimicrobial therapy. In biotechnology and green chemistry, engineered reductases enable stereoselective reductions for the synthesis of chiral alcohols and other valuable reduced products.

In summary, reduttasi refers to a diverse set of enzymes whose common function is the reduction of substrates, powered by electron donors and utilized across metabolism, pharmacology, and biocatalysis.