What is "chymotrypsinogen"

n. (context biochemistry English) An inactive precursor to chymotrypsin

Chymotrypsinogen is a proteolytic enzyme and a precursor ( zymogen) of the digestive enzyme chymotrypsin. It is a single polypetide chain consisting of 245 amino acid residues. It is synthesized in the acinar cells of the pancreas and stored inside membrane-bounded granules at the apex of the acinar cell. The cell is then stimulated by either a hormonal signal or a nerve impulse and the contents of the granules spill into a duct leading into the duodenum.