Trace element present in carbonic anhydrase is?: (A) Zinc, (B) Molybdenum, (C) Copper, (D) Magnesium
Answer is A. Zn is an essential component of several enzymes like carbonic anhydrase, alcohol dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, carboxypeptidase and superoxaide dismutase. The carbonic anhydrases (or carbonate dehydratases) form a family of enzymes that catalyze the rapid interconversion of carbon dioxide and water to bicarbonate and protons (or vice versa), a reversible reaction that occurs rather slowly in the absence of a catalyst. The active site of most carbonic anhydrases contains a zinc ion; they are therefore classified as metalloenzymes. Ref: Barrett K.E., Barman S.M., Boitano S., Brooks H.L. (2012). Chapter 39. Acidification of the Urine & Bicarbonate Excretion. In K.E. Barrett, S.M. Barman, S. Boitano, H.L. Brooks (Eds), Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology, 24e.