phosphorylase

[ fos-fer-uh-leys, -leyz, fos-fawr-uh-, -for- ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. any enzyme, occurring widely in animal and plant tissue, that in the presence of an inorganic phosphate catalyzes the conversion of glycogen into sugar phosphate.

phosphorylase

/ fɒsˈfɒrɪˌleɪs; -ˌleɪz /

noun

1. any of a group of enzymes that catalyse the hydrolysis of glycogen to glucose-1-phosphate

Word History and Origins

Origin of phosphorylase¹

First recorded in 1935–40; phosphor- + -yl + -ase

Word History and Origins

Origin of phosphorylase¹

C20: from phosphorus + -yl + -ase

Example Sentences

They focused on phosphorylase, an enzyme that exists in active and inactive forms, but at the time it was not known how or why those forms were different.

From Washington Post