phosphohydrolase
|phos-pho-hy-dro-lase|
🇺🇸
/ˌfɑsfoʊhaɪˈdroʊleɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌfɒsfəʊhaɪˈdrəʊleɪs/
enzyme that removes phosphate by hydrolysis
Etymology
'phosphohydrolase' originates from modern scientific formation (New Latin/English), combining 'phospho-' (from Greek 'phosphoros', used for 'phosphorus'/'phosphate') + 'hydro-' (from Greek 'hydōr' meaning 'water') + the enzyme-forming suffix '-ase' (from French/German usage derived from names like 'diastase').
'phosphohydrolase' was formed in modern biochemical nomenclature by joining the prefix 'phospho-' with 'hydrolase' (itself from 'hydro-' + the enzyme suffix '-ase'); the compound entered biochemical literature in the 19th–20th century as enzyme classification developed.
Initially, the components pointed to 'water' and 'phosphorus' (i.e., actions involving water and phosphate); over time the compound stabilized to mean specifically 'an enzyme that hydrolyzes phosphate esters' in biochemical usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of phosphoric acid esters, removing phosphate groups from organic molecules (a type of phosphatase or hydrolase acting on phosphorus-containing substrates).
The phosphohydrolase removed the phosphate group from the substrate during the reaction.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/07 21:39