ZYMOGEN

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does zymogen mean? 

• ZYMOGEN (noun)
  The noun ZYMOGEN has 1 sense:

1. any of a group of compounds that are inactive precursors of enzymes and require some change (such as the hydrolysis of a fragment that masks an active enzyme) to become active

  Familiarity information: ZYMOGEN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ZYMOGEN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Any of a group of compounds that are inactive precursors of enzymes and require some change (such as the hydrolysis of a fragment that masks an active enzyme) to become active

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

proenzyme; zymogen

Hypernyms ("zymogen" is a kind of...):

organic compound (any compound of carbon and another element or a radical)

 Context examples 

This allele, which encodes acrosin-binding protein, plays a role in proacrosin packaging and condensation for the acrosin zymogen in the acrosomal matrix.

(ACRBP wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

The death domain of these receptors binds to the corresponding domain of FADD, which in turn recruits the zymogen form of the death protease FLICE, activating a protease cascade which results in apoptosis.

(Fas-Associated Via Death Domain, NCI Thesaurus)

Pancreatic proteolytic enzymes include trypsin, chymotrypsin and carboxypeptidase; these enzymes are secreted as zymogens, inactive precursors of the enzymes, and are activated in the lumen of the digestive canal.

(Pancreatic Proteolytic Enzymes, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein is similar to proacrosin binding protein sp32 precursor found in mouse, guinea pig, and pig. This protein is located in the sperm acrosome and is thought to function as a binding protein to proacrosin for packaging and condensation of the acrosin zymogen in the acrosomal matrix.

(Acrosin Binding Protein, NCI Thesaurus/LocusLink)

Another proteolytic enzyme, enteropeptidase, is associated with the brush border of enterocytes; this enzyme catalyses the conversion of trypsinogen into trypsin which, in turn, can activate a number of other pancreatic zymogens.

(Pancreatic Proteolytic Enzymes, NCI Thesaurus)