H2O + CO2 -> H+ + HCO3- Authored: May, B, 2011-03-24 Carbonic Anhydrase VI Hydrates Carbon Dioxide to Form a Proton and Bicarbonate Carbonic anhydrase VI (CA6) hydrates carbon dioxide to yield bicarbonate and a proton (Thatcher et al. 1998, Nishimori et al. 2007).Carbonic anhydrase deprotonates water to yield a zinc-hydroxyl group and a proton which is transferred to external buffer molecules via histidine or glutamate residues in carbonic anhydrase. The hydroxyl group reacts with carbon dioxide in the active site to yield bicarbonate. A water molecule displaces the bicarbonate and the reaction cycle begins again (reviewed in Lindskog 1997). Depending on the concentrations of reactants the reaction is reversible. CA6 is a major protein of saliva and is also known as gustin. EC Number: 4.2.1.1 Edited: May, B, 2011-03-24 Pubmed17228881 Pubmed17499996 Pubmed9336012 Pubmed9784398 Reactome Database ID Release 431237045 Reactome, http://www.reactome.org ReactomeREACT_120867 Reviewed: Jassal, B, 2012-05-16 Reviewed: Silverman, DN, 2012-05-16