Neurath H
Science. 1984 Apr 27;224(4647):350-7. doi: 10.1126/science.6369538.
Proteolytic enzymes have many physiological functions, ranging from generalized protein digestion to more specific regulated processes such as the activation of zymogens, blood coagulation and the lysis of fibrin clots, the release of hormones and pharmacologically active peptides from precursor proteins, and the transport of secretory proteins across membranes. They are present in all forms of living organisms. Comparisons of amino acid sequences, three-dimensional structures, and enzymatic reaction mechanisms of proteases indicate that there are distinct families of these proteins. Changes in molecular structure and function have accompanied the evolution of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors, each having relatively simple roles in primitive organisms and more diverse and more complex functions in higher organisms.
蛋白水解酶具有多种生理功能，从一般的蛋白质消化到更特定的调节过程，如酶原激活、血液凝固和纤维蛋白凝块溶解、从前体蛋白释放激素和药理活性肽，以及分泌蛋白跨膜转运。它们存在于所有形式的生物体中。蛋白酶氨基酸序列、三维结构和酶促反应机制的比较表明，这些蛋白质存在不同的家族。蛋白水解酶及其抑制剂的进化伴随着分子结构和功能的变化，它们在原始生物中具有相对简单的作用，而在高等生物中具有更多样化和更复杂的功能。
