GLOSSARY

Chymotrypsin is another pancreatic protease, secreted as inactive chymotrypsinogen and activated in the duodenum by trypsin; together with trypsin it breaks proteins and polypeptides down into smaller peptides.

Characteristics

• Type: a serine protease and endopeptidase.
• Specificity: cleaves after aromatic and large hydrophobic amino acids (phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan; and to a lesser extent leucine and methionine).
• Optimal pH: about 7.5–8.5.

Cooperation with Other Proteases