Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
thioester

thioester

1 8.2
A chemical like an ester with sulfur instead of oxygen that helps cells make energy
  • noun
  • /ˈθaɪoʊˌɛstər/
  • Specialized
: tioéster
  • During biosynthesis, thioesters are important intermediates in the synthesis of fatty acids.

Examples

  • In cellular metabolism, a thioester like acetyl-CoA plays a crucial role in energy production.

  • The enzyme catalyzes the reaction by forming a thioester bond between the substrate and the sulfur atom.

  • OK, covalently tethered via a thioester linkage here.

  • We're starting with a fatty acyl acyl Co A thioester that has N carbons.

Surface Forms

thioester singular
thioesters plural

Morphology

thioester = ester (opaque) = thio + ester

'Thio-' is a specialized chemical combining form meaning 'containing sulfur' that is unfamiliar to average B1 learners, so the meaning is not derivable from 'ester' alone.

Etymology

Thioester comes from the parts thio- meaning 'sulfur' and ester, a common chemical group. So a thioester is like an ester but with sulfur instead of 'oxygen', which explains why these bonds are important in how cells store and transfer energy.