The enzyme appears to work equally well with either epoxide as substrate [3]. The product is a competitive inhibitor of the reaction. In vertebrates, five epoxide-hydrolase enzymes have been identified to date: EC 3.3.2.6 (leukotriene-A4 hydrolase), EC 3.3.2.7 (hepoxilin-epoxide hydrolase), EC 3.3.2.9 (microsomal epoxide hydrolase), EC 3.3.2.10 (soluble epoxide hydrolase) and EC 3.3.2.11 (cholesterol 5,6-oxide hydrolase) [3].
Distinct rat hepatic microsomal epoxide hydrolases catalyze the hydration of cholesterol 5,6 alpha-oxide and certain xenobiotic alkene and arene oxides.