polyketide
noun
poly·ke·tide
ˌpä-lē-ˈkē-ˌtīd 
: any of a large class of diverse compounds that are characterized by more than two carbonyl groups connected by single intervening carbon atoms, that are produced especially by certain bacteria and fungi, and that include various substances (such as erythromycin and lovastatin) having antibiotic, anticancer, cholesterol-lowering, or immunosuppressive effects
Examples of polyketide in a Sentence
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With the compound blocking the key enzyme polyketide synthase 13 (Pks13), M. tuberculosis is unable to build a protective cell wall.
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Noah Lyons, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
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Noah Lyons, Mercury News, 22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Polyketide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/polyketide. Accessed 1 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
polyketide
noun
poly·ke·tide
ˌpäl-ē-ˈkē-ˌtīd
: any of a large class of diverse compounds that are characterized by more than two carbonyl groups connected by single intervening carbon atoms, that are produced especially by certain bacteria and fungi, and that include various substances (as erythromycin and lovastatin) having antibiotic, anticancer, cholesterol-lowering, or immunosuppressive effects
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