Cocaine esterase

Function

Cocaine esterase (CocE) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the benzoyl ester of cocaine to ecgonine methyl ester and benzoic acid. CocE is produced by bacteria which thrive in soil of cocaine-producing plants. These bacteria use cocaine as their sole source of carbon and nitrogen. ^[1]

Relevance

CocE is being investigated as a possible therapeutic agent for treatment of cocaine abuse.

Structural highlights

CocE contains 3 domains. contains the catalytic triad: Ser, Asp and His typical of the hydrolase family. are involved in substrate recognition. is located at a cleft in the interface of the 3 domains and contains the .