ABSTRACT
Proteases are enzymes that have attracted the interest of many researchers, since antiquity. Studies of these enzymes began in the 16th century and were empirically already used in the preparation of cheese and derivatives and in the preparation of leather. Currently, these enzymes are used in many industrial sectors, especially in textiles, pharmaceuticals, food and detergents (Gupta et al. 2002, Salleh et al. 2006). The peptidases, peptide hydrolases
1Biological Sciences and Health Center, Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul. Brazil. aE-mail: fabiana.zanoelo@ufms.br bE-mail: giannesigiovana@hotmail.com 2Department of Pharmaceutical Science, School of Pharmaceutical Science of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil. E-mail: hamilton@fcfrp.usp.br *Corresponding author
or just proteases as they are known, are hydrolytic enzymes which cleave peptide bonds in other proteins and peptide fragments (Barrett 1994). Proteases play an important role in all physiological processes, ranging from the general downturn of the protein as a nutrient to the regulation of programmed cell death. They are produced in all living organisms, actively participating in metabolic pathways and complex cell signaling pathways (Turk 2006). In general, the extracellular proteases catalyze the hydrolysis of various proteins into smaller molecules that are subsequently absorbed by the cells, while intracellular proteases play an important role in regulating the metabolism (Rao et al. 1998).
