Cyanide hydratase

In enzymology, a cyanide hydratase is an enzyme that catalyzes the chemical reaction


 * formamide $$\rightleftharpoons$$ cyanide + H2O

Hence, this enzyme has one substrate, formamide, and two products, cyanide and H2O.

This enzyme belongs to the family of lyases, specifically the hydro-lyases, which cleave carbon-oxygen bonds. The systematic name of this enzyme class is formamide hydro-lyase (cyanide-forming). Other names in common use include formamide dehydratase, and formamide hydro-lyase. This enzyme participates in cyanoamino acid metabolism.