Specificity
Carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are members of a large family of zinc metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration of carbon dioxide. CAs are involved in a variety of biological processes, including respiration, calcification, acid-base balance, bone resorption, and the formation of aqueous humor, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva, and gastric juice. They show extensive diversity in distribution and in their subcellular localization. CA III (carbonic anhydrase III), also known as Car3 or CA3, is a 260 amino acid cytoplasmic protein that is specifically expressed in muscle. Belonging to the a-carbonic anhydrase family, CA III is activated by proton donors such as imidazole and dipeptide histidylhistidine, and is inhibited by coumarins and sulfonamide derivatives such as acetazolamide.
