Thioesterases are enzymes which belong to the esterase family. Esterases, in turn, are one type of the several hydrolases known.
Thioesterases exhibit Esterase activity (splitting of an ester into acid and alcohol, in the presence of water) specifically at a thiol group.
Thioesterases or thiolester hydrolases are identified as members of E.C.3.1.2.
Examples
Acetyl-CoA hydrolase, palmitoyl-CoA hydrolase, succinyl-CoA hydrolase, formyl-CoA hydrolase, acyl-CoA hydrolase are a few examples of this group of enzymes.
Ubiquitin thiolesterase is a well-known example, whose structure has been analyzed.
Humans genes which encode thiolesterases include:
ACOT1, ACOT2, ACOT4, ACOT6, ACOT7, ACOT8, ACOT9, ACOT11 (STARD14), ACOT12 (STARD15), OLAH, PPT1, PPT2, THEM2 (ACOT13), THEM4, THEM4P1, THEM5