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.

---

protease British  

/ ˈprəʊtɪˌeɪs /

noun

1. any enzyme involved in proteolysis

---

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.

---

Etymology

Origin of protease

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

Example Sentences

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

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

NS2B-NS3pro carries out protease functions, cutting long polypeptides into Zika proteins.

From Science Daily • Dec. 8, 2023

When this happens, the protease Notopleural comes into play.

From Science Daily • Oct. 25, 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 Thatcher, Roscoe Wilfred