kinase
kinase — 名詞
1. a type of protein found inside living cells that speeds up the chemical reaction
激酶
激酶（能將磷酸基團轉移到其他分子的酶）
a type of protein found inside living cells that speeds up the chemical reaction of moving a phosphate group from one molecule (especially ATP) to another molecule, which is a key step in processes such as cell signaling and metabolism
The biology textbook explained that a kinase adds a phosphate group to a protein to turn it on or off.
生物學課本解釋道，激酶會將磷酸基團加到蛋白質上，以開啟或關閉該蛋白質的功能。
kinase + that-clause for explaining function
Élise's lab team discovered a new kinase that controls how quickly skin cells multiply.
Élise 的實驗室團隊發現一種新型激酶，能控制皮膚細胞分裂的速度。
relative clause: kinase that controls [process]
Many modern cancer drugs work by blocking a specific kinase that certain tumors depend on to grow.
許多現代抗癌藥物透過阻斷特定激酶來發揮作用，因為某些腫瘤需要依賴該激酶才能生長。
Without the right kinase, the signaling pathway in Vivek's experiment never activated.
缺少正確的激酶，Vivek 實驗中的訊號傳導路徑便無法啟動。
Shirin's research examines how a single kinase controls several different processes inside a cell.
Shirin 的研究探討單一激酶如何控制細胞內多種不同的生理過程。
- enzyme
much broader category; all kinases are enzymes, but most enzymes are not kinases
- phosphotransferase
more technical term rarely used outside specialist biochemistry; kinase is the everyday scientific term
- phosphatase
an enzyme that removes phosphate groups, performing the opposite chemical reaction
用法筆記
Most often encountered in academic biology, medical research, and pharmacology contexts. The process a kinase performs is called phosphorylation. To remember the function, note that the name comes from 'kinetic' (movement) — a kinase moves a phosphate group from one molecule to another.