reductase

American

[ri-duhk-teys, -teyz] / rɪˈdʌk teɪs, -teɪz /

noun

Biochemistry.

any enzyme acting as a reducing agent.

reductase British

/ rɪˈdʌkteɪz /

noun

any enzyme that catalyses a biochemical reduction reaction

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of reductase

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This chemically reactive form was then tailored to interact with an enzyme abundant in cancer cells, known as thioredoxin reductase.

From Science Daily • Nov. 27, 2024

That’s because the research team found that bilirubin reductase is present in almost all healthy adults.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2024

In the case of statins, HMG-CoA reductase is the drug target.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

People with a condition called 5-alpha reductase deficiency have a genetic mutation that leads them to produce low levels of DHT.

From Scientific American • Oct. 29, 2018

Discovery of a novel antagonist of E. coli dihydrofolate reductase.

From Nature • Apr. 22, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023