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Glite Dictionary
ribonuclease

ribonuclease

9.4
A protein that breaks RNA into smaller pieces
  • noun
  • /ˌraɪboʊˈnjuːkleɪeɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ribonucleasa
  • In molecular biology, ribonuclease plays a crucial role in the degradation of RNA to regulate gene expression.

Examples

  • In the presequencing era, Woese used ribonucleases to cut the RNA into very short pieces, from which he was able to build not only a universal tree of life but also the first phylogeny of the microbial world.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Water and mucin, in addition to enzymes such as amylase, ribonuclease, and lipase, initiate the digestion of food by lubricating it and dissolving it into particles.

    Academic text (1999)

  • The experiment he did was to take native ribonuclease A, and I'm going to just sketch that.

  • It has two catalytic domains, the ribonuclease H active site and the polymerase active site.

  • The early structures for lysozyme, ribonuclease, carboxypeptidase, and chymotrypsin each provided critical insight into the mechanism of catalytic action.

    Academic text (1995)

  • The enzyme ribonuclease is essential for digesting RNA into smaller components during cellular processes.

  • Researchers added ribonuclease to the reaction mixture to ensure the RNA was broken down effectively.

Synonyms

RNase
vsribonuclease
  • Slang
1 9.1

A protein that breaks the RNA in cells into small pieces

is identical in meaning but presented with a shorter technical form
nuclease
vsribonuclease
  • Specialized
1 8.8

A protein that cuts DNA or RNA into smaller pieces

is narrower acting only on RNA rather than all nucleic acids
ribonucleinase
vsribonuclease
  • Specialized
9.9

A protein in cells that breaks down RNA, the cell's genetic material

is the same in meaning but differs only by word form

Surface Forms

ribonuclease singular
ribonucleases plural

Morphology

ribonuclease = nuclease (semi-transparent) = ribo + nuclease

The meaning is compositionally clear (an enzyme acting on ribonucleic material), but both 'ribo-' and 'nuclease' are specialized scientific forms that may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

Ribonuclease is built from parts you can recognise: ribo- refers to 'ribose', the sugar in RNA, and the ending -ase marks an enzyme, as in amylase. The middle nuclease links to nucleus ('kernel' or 'center'), so a ribonuclease is an enzyme that 'cuts' or breaks down RNA, which explains its modern meaning.