1. an inactive form of an enzyme that becomes active when chemically altered
Usage: biochemistry

Examples

• Pepsinogen is a proenzyme that becomes pepsin in the acidic environment of the stomach.
• The pancreas secretes several proenzymes that are activated in the small intestine.
• Trypsinogen is converted from a proenzyme to the active enzyme trypsin.
• Many digestive enzymes exist as proenzymes to prevent damage to the organs that produce them.
• The activation of proenzymes is carefully regulated in biological systems.
• Researchers studied how the proenzyme transforms into its active form.