Chymotrypsin, trypsin, and elastase are digestive enzymes called serine proteases. The serine proteases differ in substrate specificity: Chymotrypsin cleaves peptide bonds after aromatic or bulky hydrophobic side chains, trypsin requires basic amino acid residues, and elastase cleaves bonds following small uncharged side chains. A chart of amino acids is available for your reference.
Determine which specificity pocket is part of each enzyme.
Chymotrypsin
Trypsin
Elastase
Answer Bank
Which amino acids have side chains that fit into the specificity pocket of trypsin?
alanine
phenylalanine
aspartate
glycine
lysine
arginine