Zymase

Zymase is an enzyme complex that catalyzes the fermentation of sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide. It is naturally found in yeasts, particularly Saccharomyces cerevisiae (brewer's yeast). Though often referred to as a single enzyme, zymase is actually a mixture of several enzymes working sequentially in the fermentation process. These enzymes include hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, phosphofructokinase, aldolase, triosephosphate isomerase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, phosphoglycerate mutase, enolase, pyruvate kinase, and pyruvate decarboxylase. These enzymes act in a metabolic pathway known as glycolysis, followed by the decarboxylation of pyruvate to acetaldehyde, and finally the reduction of acetaldehyde to ethanol. Zymase is crucial in the production of alcoholic beverages, biofuels, and other industrial processes involving fermentation. The activity of zymase can be affected by factors such as temperature, pH, and the presence of inhibitors. The discovery of zymase and its role in fermentation was a significant contribution to the understanding of biochemical processes in living organisms.