Industrial Applications of Proteases

809 Words4 Pages
Introduction Proteases Enzymes are used in chemical industries and other industrial applications when extremely specific catalysts are required. Proteases, the enzymes that cleave other proteins or even themselves in catalytic fashion, are of immense importance from a biological and also industrial point of view. They make up the largest single family of enzymes, constituting an estimated 2% of the human genome. Proteases are classified into six groups: aspartate, cysteine, glutamate, metallo, serine, and threonine based on characteristic mechanistic features. Despite their many different forms and functions, the underlying theme of peptide bond scission by all proteases is the same: polarization of the scissile amide C=O bond as well as activation of a nucleophilic group to attack the carbonyl carbon leading to hydrolysis. Through structural and functional diversity, proteases carry out a vast array of critical functions ranging from intracellular protein recycling to nutrient digestion to immune system cascade amplification. Use of Proteases in industry The unique catalytic activities of proteases make them an inexpensive choice for hydrolyzing peptide bonds for industrial uses. Proteases were first applied in the detergent, leather and food industries several hundred years ago. For instance, Milk clotting enzymes have been used to transform milk into products such as cheese since about 5000 BC. Pancreatic protease extracts were used for dehairing of hides and as pre-soak detergents since about 1910, and papain from papayas has been in use since ancient times to tenderize meat. Now a days, proteases find uses in diverse industries when compared to other industrially important enzymes like cellulases, lipases, xylanases etc. This assignment describes the broad applications of proteases in laundry detergents, textile, food, paper, pulp and
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