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

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

If the desired protease is present in its active form in the sample, the peptide splits it.

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

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