hexokinase Biochem.
(hɛksəʊˈkaɪneɪs, -z)
[f. hexose + kinase.]
Any of various enzymes that catalyse the transfer of a phosphate group from adenosine triphosphate to glucose or other hexoses as the first step in glycolysis.
| 1930 O. Meyerhof in Lancet 27 Dec. 1418/1 By itself this activator can do nothing, but its addition to the muscle extract induces hexoses to split even more rapidly than glycogen... I propose the name ‘hexokinase’ for it, since it acts just as other auxiliary enzymes designated as kinases. 1954 A. White et al. Princ. Biochem. xvii. 404 There exists a hexokinase for fructose in yeast and bran apparently independent of the hexokinase for glucose. 1964 G. H. Haggis Introd. Molecular Biol. ii. 28 The breakdown of glucose to CO2 and water involves a large number of enzymes, the first in the sequence being hexokinase. |