kinase /kī″nās/ [Gk, kinesis, motion, ase, enzyme] , 1. an enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a phosphate group or another high-energy molecular group to an acceptor molecule. Each of these kinases is named for its receptor, such as acetate kinase, fructokinase, or hexokinase. 2. an enzyme that activates a preenzyme (zymogen). Kinds include bacterial kinase, enterokinase, fibrinokinase, insulin kinase, staphylokinase, streptokinase, streptokinase-streptodornase, urokinase.
