pectasen.
/ˈpɛkteɪz/, U.S. /ˈpɛkˌteɪs/, /ˈpɛkˌteɪz/ Biochemistry. Now historical.
= pectinesterase n.
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pectase1852
1852 T. F. Betton tr. V. Regnault Elements Chem. II. 480 The vegetable parts which contain pectose, contain also a peculiar substance called pectase, which exerts a quite special influence on pectin and its isomerics.
1894 Science 2 Mar. 116/2 Pectase occurs in a variety of plants, carrots, beets, fruits, etc., and has the power of converting cellulose into gum.
1950 Bot. Gaz. 112 66/1 Autolytic enzymes—pectases, cellulases, cytases, or others—had diminished activity.
1950 R. M. Smock & A. M. Neubert Apples & Apple Products v. 59 This action in apples was long presumed to be due to an enzyme called pectin-methylesterase (formerly called ‘pectase’) but this enzyme has not been found in apples.
1972 Materials & Technol. V. 703 They [sc. the pectic enzymes] can be broadly classified,..into two sub-groups. These are the polygalacturonases, which cleave glycosidic linkages between adjoining galacturonic acid units, and the pectic methyl esterases... The two groups were formerly known, respectively, as pectinases and pectases.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1852