apyrases
|a-py-ra-ses|
/əˈpaɪreɪz/
(apyrase)
enzyme that breaks down ATP/ADP
Etymology
'apyrase' originates from modern scientific coinage (New Latin/Modern English), combining the prefix 'a-' (from Greek, meaning 'not' or 'without'), the element 'pyr-' (from 'pyrophosphate', referring to phosphate groups), and the suffix '-ase' (from French/Modern Latin, used to form enzyme names).
'apyrase' was coined in 20th-century biochemical literature as a name for enzymes that break down di- and triphosphate nucleotides; it is a modern technical formation rather than a word that passed through Old or Middle English stages.
Initially coined to denote an enzyme acting on (pyro)phosphate-type substrates, it has come to be used more specifically for enzymes hydrolyzing ATP and ADP to AMP and inorganic phosphate.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural form of 'apyrase'.
Apyrases are commonly studied in insect saliva because they prevent platelet aggregation.
Noun 2
enzymes that hydrolyze nucleotide tri- and diphosphates (such as ATP and ADP) to AMP and inorganic phosphate; they are found in many organisms and, for example, secreted by blood-feeding animals to inhibit platelet aggregation.
Researchers purified several apyrases from mosquito saliva to study how they block blood clotting.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/09/18 03:25