Any * hydrolase enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of peptides. The distinction between * proteases and peptidases is not a clear one - peptidases often have protease activity and vice versa. Several types of peptidase can be distinguished. Exopeptidases can only attack terminal peptide bonds while endopeptidases attack bonds within the peptide chain and are often specific to certain types of peptide linkage. Aminopeptidases attack the amino terminal of peptides and carboxypeptidases attack the carboxy terminal. Dipeptidases attack only dipeptides. |
