Function
Squalene-hopene 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.
Disease
Relevance
The hopenoids condense lipid membranes and reduce their permeability.
Structural highlights