Isomerase
Isomerase, any one of a class of enzymes that catalyze reactions involving a structural rearrangement of a molecule. Alanine racemase, for example, catalyzes the conversion of L-alanine into its isomeric (mirror-image) form, D-alanine. An isomerase called mutarotase catalyzes the conversion of Ξ±-d-glucose into Ξ²-d-glucose. cf. ligase, lyase.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Isomerase
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
11 November 2026
Access Date:
November 13, 2026