University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

Some general classes of exoenzymes include:
- Glycohydrolases
- Nucleases
- Phospholipases
- Proteases

Types of Exoenzymes

Glycohydrolase is an enzyme that breaks down complex sugars into simpler sugars by hydrolyzing glycosidic bonds. An example is Hyaluronidase S found in *Staphylococcus aureus* Hyaluronidase degrades hyaluronic acid that cements cells together to promote spread.

Glycohydrolases

A nuclease is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the bonds between nucleotides in nucleic acids like DNA and RNA.

Nuclease

A phospholipase is an enzyme that breaks down phospholipids by breaking the bonds in their molecular structure. This process can release fatty acids, glycerol, and other products from the phospholipids which then degrades phospholipid bilayer of host cells, causing cellular lysis,

Phospholipases

A protease is an enzyme that breaks down proteins into smaller peptides or amino acids by hydrolyzing the peptide bonds between amino acids.

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