protamine

[ proh-tuh-meen, pro-tam-in ]
/ ˈproʊ təˌmin, prɒˈtæm ɪn /

noun Biochemistry.

any of a group of arginine-rich, strongly basic proteins that are not coagulated by heat, occurring primarily in the sperm of fish.

Origin of protamine

First recorded in 1870–75; prot- + amine

Words nearby protamine

prot-, prot., protactinium, protagonist, protagoras, protamine, protandrous, protanomaly, protanopia, protasis, prote-

British Dictionary definitions for protamine

protamine
/ (ˈprəʊtəˌmiːn) /

noun

any of a group of basic simple proteins that occur, in association with nucleic acids, in the sperm of some fish

Word Origin for protamine

C19: from German: see proto-, amine

Medical definitions for protamine

protamine
[ prō′tə-mēn′, -mĭn ]

n.

Any of a group of simple proteins found in fish sperm that are strongly basic, are soluble in water, are not coagulated by heat, and yield chiefly arginine upon hydrolysis. In purified form, they are used in a long-acting formulation of insulin and to neutralize the anticoagulant effects of heparin.