hydrolase

[ hahy-druh-leys, -leyz ]

noun

, Biochemistry.

1. an enzyme that catalyzes hydrolysis.

hydrolase

/ ˈhaɪdrəˌleɪz /

noun

1. an enzyme, such as an esterase, that controls hydrolysis

Word History and Origins

Origin of hydrolase¹

First recorded in 1920–25; hydr- ¹ + -ol ¹ + -ase

Example Sentences

The researchers, who published their results recently in Nature, identified a new role for an old bacterial enzyme, known as bile salt hydrolase, or BSH.

From Science Daily

To test their hypothesis that bile salt hydrolase is involved in the creation of bile acids, the researchers took a multipronged approach.

From Science Daily

Normally, they are broken down by an enzyme called fatty acid amide hydrolase, or FAAH.

From The New Yorker

The Me-His residue in the modified enzymes acts as a nucleophilic catalyst that is broadly analogous to the nucleophilic residues found in serine hydrolase and cysteine hydrolase enzymes.

From Nature

The enzyme—organophosphorus hydrolase, or OPH, which breaks down OPs into harmless components—also worked without the cloak, but only for a few brief hours.

From Scientific American