protease

American  

[proh-tee-eys, -eyz] / ˈproʊ tiˌeɪs, -ˌeɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.

1. any of a group of enzymes that catalyze the hydrolytic degradation of proteins or polypeptides to smaller amino acid polymers.

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protease British  

/ ˈprəʊtɪˌeɪs /

noun

1. any enzyme involved in proteolysis

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protease Scientific  

/ prō′tē-ās′ /

1. Any of various enzymes that bring about the breakdown of proteins into peptides or amino acids by hydrolysis. Pepsin is an example of a protease.

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Etymology

Origin of protease

First recorded in 1900–05; prote(in) + -ase

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

protease

The mirror protease only works on mirror peptides, which means, by the law of mirror-image symmetry that applies to chiral molecules, that regular proteases would likewise be unable to cut down mirror-image peptides.

From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2025

The clinical potential of this test was also demonstrated by the detection of cathepsin B, a protease related to colorectal cancer, in three different tumor cell lines obtained from patients.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 13, 2023

Meanwhile, when NS3pro detects a viral polypeptide to cut, it forces the complex into the closed conformation, becoming a protease.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 8, 2023

It would be difficult to create safe drugs that target the domains of the enzyme needed for protease or helicase functions, as human cells have many similar molecules.

From Science Daily ● Dec. 8, 2023

The best-known example of this type of enzymes is the protease of yeast; but similar ones may be found in germinating seeds.

From The Chemistry of Plant Life by Roscoe Wilfred Thatcher