Arylformamidase

In enzymology, an arylformamidase (EC 3.5.1.9) is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction

N-formyl-L-kynurenine + H₂O ⇌ formate + L-kynurenine

Thus, the two substrates of this enzyme are N-formyl-L-kynurenine and H₂O, whereas its two products are formate and L-kynurenine.

This enzyme belongs to the family of hydrolases, those acting on carbon-nitrogen bonds other than peptide bonds, specifically in linear amides. The systematic name of this enzyme class is aryl-formylamine amidohydrolase. Other names in common use include kynurenine formamidase, formylase, formylkynureninase, formylkynurenine formamidase, formamidase I, and formamidase II. This enzyme participates in tryptophan metabolism and glyoxylate and dicarboxylate metabolism.