η- and θ-carbonic anhydrases

Abstract η- and θ-carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are the last two classes of the CA enzyme family to be discovered in Plasmodium species and the marine diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum, respectively. For both classes only one representative member has been characterized in depth in vitro. In this review, we summarize all biochemical, structural, and functional data so far reported for these enzymes and compare these features with those of other widespread CA classes. Reported data highlight that, although these enzymes can have important biomedical and biotechnological applications, available data are still limited and need to be implemented by further studies.