oxidoreductasedependent

Oxidoreductasedependent, often written oxidoreductase-dependent, is a descriptive term used in biochemistry and cell biology to designate biochemical reactions, pathways, or processes that require the activity of oxidoreductase enzymes to proceed. Oxidoreductases are a broad class of enzymes that catalyze oxidation–reduction reactions in which electrons are transferred between electron donors and acceptors. In most cases, these reactions involve cofactors such as nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/NADH), NADP+/NADPH, flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD/FADH2), or flavin mononucleotide (FMN/FMNH2).

Many metabolic pathways contain oxidoreductase-dependent steps. For example, in cellular respiration, dehydrogenases and reductases shuttle electrons into the mitochondrial electron transport chain, ultimately driving ATP synthesis. In photosynthesis, light-driven redox reactions involve oxidoreductases and electron carriers such as ferredoxin. In detoxification, oxidases and peroxidases remove reactive oxygen species using oxidizing equivalents. In biosynthesis, reductases supply NADPH for anabolic reactions, and oxygenases incorporate oxygen into substrates.

The term also appears in discussions of biocatalysis and metabolic engineering, where enzymes are selected or engineered to provide specific redox transformations. Regulation of oxidoreductase-dependent processes is closely tied to the cellular redox state, availability of cofactors, oxygen levels, and, in multicellular organisms, hormonal and nutritional status. While oxidoreductases form a well-defined enzyme class (EC class 1), the qualifier dependent indicates reliance on these enzymes for the reaction or pathway to occur. Note that oxidoreductase-dependent is a descriptive, not formal, label used in literature.