Final answer:
The class of enzymes responsible for catalyzing the reaction AB + H₂O → A + B where a bond is cleaved with the addition of water is the hydrolases. These enzymes are specialized in hydrolysis reactions, which is the type of reaction the given equation represents.
Step-by-step explanation:
The equation AB + H₂O → A + B would be catalyzed by enzymes classified as hydrolases. These enzymes specialize in facilitating the cleavage of bonds by the addition of water, a type of reaction known as hydrolysis. Considering the given equation, hydrolases are responsible for breaking the bond between AB to yield separate entities A and B through the addition of water (H₂O).
Hydrolases include a variety of digestive enzymes such as pepsin, trypsin, amylase, and maltase, which serve to break down complex molecules into simpler, more readily absorbed substances. The reaction described does not involve the transfer of electrons as in oxidoreductases, the transfer of functional groups as in transferases, the creation of bonds through ligases, or the rearrangement of molecular structures as in isomerases. Therefore, hydrolases are the appropriate enzyme class for catalyzing the hydrolysis of AB with the addition of water.