kinase

noun

ki·​nase ˈkī-ˌnās 

-ˌnāz

: any of various enzymes that catalyze the transfer of phosphate groups from a high-energy phosphate-containing molecule (such as ATP) to a substrate compare protein kinase

Examples of kinase in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Another promising class of drugs, known as pyruvate kinase activators, stimulate an enzyme involved in cellular metabolism to both increase cells’ energy and improve hemoglobin’s ability to carry oxygen. —Sara Reardon, Scientific American, 17 Sep. 2024

One other type of drug, called a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, blocks an enzyme that’s needed for tumor cells to grow and divide. —Linda Carroll, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024

There are currently numerous tyrosine kinase inhibitors approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). —Linda Carroll, TIME, 5 Sep. 2024

The key turned out to be a protein called a kinase, which attaches a phosphate to other proteins. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 29 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary, from kinetic

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kinase

• creatine kinase
• protein kinase
• protein kinase C

Medical Definition

kinase

noun

ki·​nase ˈkī-ˌnās, -ˌnāz 

: any of various enzymes that catalyze the transfer of phosphate groups from a high-energy phosphate-containing molecule (as ATP or ADP) to a substrate

called also phosphokinase