A stress enzyme is an enzyme that helps cells cope with various types of stress. These enzymes are involved in different cellular processes like:
- Protecting cells from damage: This is achieved by reducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) or by enhancing antioxidant capacity. [Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidant capacity of the biological system.] [Antioxidant enzymes are capable of stabilizing, or deactivating free radicals before they attack cellular components.]
- Regulating metabolism: Stress enzymes can help adjust metabolic pathways during stressful conditions. [This review summarizes current evidence for the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism by iNOS during inflammation, and argues for the role of iNOS as a metabolic enzyme under stress conditions.]
- Repairing damaged DNA: Some stress enzymes are involved in DNA repair mechanisms. [ROS may play an essential role in DNA damage induced by Cr (VI) in vivo. Our results show that the use of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances as a marker of lipid peroxidation may be relevant in the study of oxidative stress.]
Stress enzymes play a crucial role in maintaining cell health and preventing diseases. For example, certain stress enzymes are believed to be involved in neurodegenerative diseases. [It has been known that cells respond to this type of stress by reducing their production of new proteins, and that a signaling enzyme likely plays a key role in this process.] [A fundamental synaptic mechanism that explains the relationship between chronic stress and the loss of social skills and cognitive impairment.]
Examples of stress enzymes include:
- Superoxide dismutase (SOD): An antioxidant enzyme that breaks down superoxide radicals, a harmful type of ROS.
- Catalase: Another antioxidant enzyme that breaks down hydrogen peroxide, another type of ROS.
- Glutathione peroxidase: An enzyme that helps detoxify various harmful substances, including ROS.
