allenzima

Allenzima is a term sometimes used to describe enzymes that catalyze reactions involving allene substrates, i.e., compounds containing a cumulated C=C=C bond, or that transform allene derivatives into other products. It is not an officially recognized enzyme class in standard taxonomies, and its use is informal, appearing mainly in educational explanations or speculative discussions about enzyme-substrate specificity.

This concept is illustrated by enzymes that act on allene-containing intermediates, such as allene oxide synthase and allene oxide cyclase, enzymes that participate in plant jasmonate biosynthesis by processing allene oxide intermediates. More generally, enzymes that process allene derivatives can catalyze oxidations, reductions, cyclizations, or isomerizations, often with high stereo- and regioselectivity, and frequently requiring cofactors such as NAD(P)H, FAD, or metal ions.

Research on allenzymes is typically framed within the study of biocatalysis and natural product biosynthesis. In synthetic biology, such enzymes are of interest for constructing enantioselective routes to complex molecules. The term is mainly used informally; when describing a specific enzyme, scientists prefer to name it after its substrate or reaction (for example, allene oxide synthase) rather than as a universal enzyme class.