deaminase

noun

: an enzyme that hydrolyzes amino compounds (such as amino acids) with removal of the amino group

Examples of deaminase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Splitting the enzyme, called a deaminase, into two harmless halves kept it from killing cells. Sharon Begley, STAT, 8 July 2020 Crucially, the mutations that had broken these genes could in principle be fixed with an adenine deaminase that worked on DNA. The Economist, 26 Oct. 2017

Word History

Etymology

de- + amino + -ase

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deaminase was in 1920

Dictionary Entries Near deaminase

Cite this Entry

“Deaminase.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deaminase. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.

Medical Definition

: an enzyme that hydrolyzes amino compounds (as amino acids) with removal of the amino group
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