What is Carboxylesterase type B?

Carboxylesterase, type B is a family of evolutionarily related proteins.

Higher eukaryotes have many distinct esterases. The different types include those that act on carboxylic esters. Carboxyl-esterases have been classified into three categories on the basis of differential patterns of inhibition by organophosphates. The sequence of a number of type-B carboxylesterases indicates that the majority are evolutionarily related. As is the case for lipases and serine proteases, the catalytic apparatus of esterases involves three residues : a serine, a glutamate or aspartate and a histidine. This family belongs to the superfamily of proteins with the Alpha/beta hydrolase fold.