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Tyrosinase

Meaning

Tyrosinase is a critical, copper-containing metalloenzyme that serves as the rate-limiting enzyme in the biochemical pathway of melanogenesis, the process of melanin production. This enzyme catalyzes the oxidation of the amino acid tyrosine into DOPA and subsequently into dopaquinone, initiating the cascade that leads to the formation of the pigment melanin. Its activity is essential for all forms of human pigmentation.