Proteolysis
Definition
The hydrolytic cleavage of peptide bonds by proteolytic enzymes (proteases). In biological evidence, proteolysis occurs via endogenous cellular proteases released during autolysis and via exogenous microbial proteases. Proteolysis fragments proteins and can co-degrade DNA-binding proteins, accelerating overall evidence degradation.
Related terms
- Amino acid
- The monomer unit of proteins. All 20 standard amino acids share a central carbon bonded to an amino group, a carboxyl group,...
- Haemoglobin
- The iron-containing oxygen-transport protein in red blood cells, composed of four polypeptide subunits each with a haem prosthetic group. Its pseudoperoxidase activity...
- Isoenzyme (isozyme)
- Multiple molecular forms of the same enzyme that differ in amino acid sequence but catalyse the same reaction. In forensic serology, isoenzyme...
- Peroxidase
- An enzyme that catalyses the transfer of oxygen from hydrogen peroxide to an electron donor, often producing a coloured product. Haemoglobin has...
- Protein denaturation
- The loss of a protein's three-dimensional structure without breaking peptide bonds, caused by heat, pH change, UV radiation, or chemical agents such...
Explained in
- Proteins and Enzymes in Biological EvidenceThe hydrolytic cleavage of peptide bonds by proteolytic enzymes (proteases). In biological evidence, proteolysis occurs via endogenous cellular proteases relea...