[Proteolytic enzymes and their biological function].

The paper reviews studies made by the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology of Proteins, Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, into the properties, structure, active center, biological functions, activity regulation. It accesses them in forming current concepts of the regulatory role of proteolytic enzymes. Their proteolytic features as a regulatory mechanism and various aspects of the regulatory role of proteinases are considered in the paper.