decarboxylate

American  

[dee-kahr-bok-suh-leyt] / ˌdi kɑrˈbɒk səˌleɪt /

verb (used with object)

Chemistry.

decarboxylated, decarboxylating

1. to remove the carboxyl group from (an organic compound).

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Other Word Forms

• decarboxylation noun

Etymology

Origin of decarboxylate

First recorded in 1920–25; de- + carboxylate

Example Sentences

Lysine and ornithine have very similar molecular structures, and the authors found that Spe1, the enzyme that decarboxylates ornithine, can also decarboxylate lysine to generate cadaverine.

From Nature