noun
- Plural of apoenzyme; the protein component of an enzyme that lacks its cofactor or prosthetic group and is therefore catalytically inactive.
Usage: technical; biochemistry
Examples
- Apoenzymes cannot catalyze reactions until they bind with their required cofactors.
- The apoenzymes in the cell remain inactive until metal ions are supplied.
- Researchers studied how apoenzymes combine with coenzymes to form functional holoenzymes.
- Without their prosthetic groups, apoenzymes lose all enzymatic activity.
- The apoenzymes were isolated and then reconstituted with their cofactors to restore function.