1. One of several carboxy-lyases, trivially named carboxylases or decarboxylases (EC 4.1.1.x), catalyzing the addition of CO2 to all or part of another molecule to create an additional —COOH group ( e.g., ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate c.). 2. Obsolete name for pyruvate decarboxylase.
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car·box·yl·ase kär-'bäk-sə-.lās, -.lāz n an enzyme that catalyzes decarboxylation or carboxylation
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n.
an enzyme that catalyses the addition of carbon dioxide to a substance.
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car·box·y·lase (kahr-bokґsə-lās) an enzyme that catalyzes the addition of a molecule of carbon dioxide to another compound to form a carboxyl group. The carboxylases include some carboxy-lyases [EC 4.1.1] and those ligases, usually biotinyl-proteins, that cleave ATP to drive the reaction [EC 6.4.1].Medical dictionary. 2011.