thermolysin, n. [Thermo- + Gr. ly`ein to loose + -in.].
a proteolytic enzyme obtained from the bacterium Bacillus thermoproteolyticus, which hydrolyses the N-terminal amide bonds of hydrophobic amino acid residues in proteins. It is used in studies of protein structure. It has a molecular weight of about 37,500 and contains zinc and calcium in its active configuration. [PJC]