Invertase

Invertase is a glycoprotein enzyme (EC 3.2.1.26), commonly found in plants, bacteria, and fungi, that catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose (table sugar) into glucose and fructose. It belongs to glycoside hydrolase family 32 (GH32) and is essential for carbohydrate partitioning and sugar signaling in plants. The enzyme exhibits a canonical structure consisting of an N-terminal five-bladed β-propeller catalytic domain and a C-terminal β-sandwich domain. In yeasts such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, invertase forms multimeric assemblies (e.g., octamers) that influence substrate specificity. Its physiological role is most significant in plant biology and industrial sugar processing, and there is no evidence that invertase is a therapeutic target in human medicine.

Other names

β-fructofuranosidasesucraseEC 3.2.1.26

Hydrolyzes sucrose into glucose and fructose through a retaining double-displacement mechanism involving catalytic aspartate and glutamate residues