ScienceSeptember 7, 2026

trehalase

TREE-huh-lays

Definition

A specific type of enzyme that breaks down trehalose, a sugar found in the blood of insects, into glucose for energy.

Etymology

The word is derived from 'trehalose'—a sugar originally isolated from trehala manna—combined with the suffix '-ase', which is the standard ending used in chemistry to denote an enzyme.

In the news

In the article, the fungus produces trehalase to digest nutrients directly from the fly's hemolymph, allowing the fungus to survive and grow inside its living host.

In 1855, scientists discovered a fungus that turns flies into zombie hosts. More than 160 years later, its

Read the full article ↗

The Economic Times

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