Protease

About Protease:

An enzyme that is responsible for the catalyzation of proteolysis, protease is also responsible for breaking down particular proteins into either individual amino acids or polypeptides.
This is accomplished through the cleaving of particular peptide bonds by the process of hydrolysis which will occur within particular proteins. The process occurs when water is used to break down the bonds.
It’s worth noting that proteases are responsible and involved in a range of different biological functions. This does include eaten proteins being digested as well as the breakdown of old proteins and even cell signaling.
Furthermore, if there were no additional helping mechanisms in place then the process would be incredibly slow. Experts suggest that it could even take hundreds of years.
They are found in every virus and form of life imaginable. They have evolved a variety of different times and particular classes of protease can be used to form the same reaction through different catalytic mechanisms.

Protease Function and Mechanism
As noted, proteases are responsible for the digestion of the long protein chains into shorter chains. This is accomplished through the split of peptide bonds which are linked to amino acid residues.
Some detach the terminal amino acids from the actual protein chain. In contrast, others will attack the different peptide bonds of a particular protein.
It can be accomplished through one of two mechanisms. The first is aspartic, Metallo and glutamic. During this interaction, proteases are used to activate a particular water molecule. Which this occurs it performs a nucleophilic attack against the peptide bond. This occurs to ensure that it is hydrolyzed.
Alternatively, it can also occur through a nucleophilic residue which is usually within a catalytic triad. This occurs through serine, cysteine, and threonine. During this process, a nucleophilic attack occurs which links the substrate protein to the protease. This then releases the first half of the product.
The intermedia covalent acyl-enzyme is then hydrolyzed. This occurs through the activated water which then releases the second half of the particular product. The free enzyme then regenerates.

Protease Interactions
There is a wide range of interactions and uses for protease today.  In particular, they have often used a foundation biological tool. For instance, they can be used as laundry detergents and may even be found in the process of bread improvement. The native function can also be effective and is an essential part of ensuring that blood clotting does occur effectively. It can also be part of artificial functions. This does include the degradation of pathogenic proteins. Thrombin and TEV protease is also typically used to cleave affinity tags and fusion proteins in a, particularly controlled fashion.

Protease Structure
Proteases are often divided into subgroups based on their structure by researchers. Some of the possibilities include a structure that is either chymotrypsin-like (trypsin-like) or subtilisin-like. This is an effective way to categorize the various different forms of protease.