Squalene-hopene cyclase

Function

Squalene-hopene cyclase or oxidosqualene cyclase (SHC) catalyzes the conversion of acyclic squalene into the pentacyclic hopene and hopanol in prokaryotes. The reaction which SHC cactalyzes involves the breaking or forming of 13 covalent bonds, the formation of 9 chiral centers and the formation of 5 rings in a single step^[1].

Relevance

The hopenoids condense lipid membranes and reduce their permeability.

Structural highlights

The ^[2]. Water molecules are shown as red spheres.