linase

Linase is not a formal enzyme name in modern biochemistry. It does not correspond to a single EC-numbered enzyme, and it is not used as a standard entry in major databases. In some older or nonstandard sources, linase appears as an informal or historical reference to lignin-degrading enzymes, a group more commonly called ligninases.

This broad usage can refer to enzymes such as lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase, which are produced by white-rot and some brown-rot fungi and catalyze oxidative cleavage of lignin’s aromatic polymer, enabling breakdown of plant biomass. These enzymes typically operate via radical or oxidation mechanisms and may require cofactors such as hydrogen peroxide (peroxidases) or molecular oxygen (laccases).

In other contexts, linase may be a misspelling or shorthand for other enzyme classes that end with -ase (for example lyase, lipase), or a misrendering of gene names such as LinA involved in certain pesticide-degradation pathways; in such cases the term does not denote a single defined activity.

Because of these ambiguities, it is important to verify the intended meaning from the source when the term linase is encountered. For lignin-degrading enzymes, see lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase; for related naming issues, see lyase and lipase.