proteolysis

The breakdown of proteins to their constituent amino acids by proteolytic enzymes. Much information about the action of specific *proteases and *peptidases has been gained from studies on animal digestive tracts, but little is known of the mechanisms by which proteins are broken down within the cell. Radioactive tracer studies have shown that turnover of proteins within the cell is extremely rapid, indicating that intracellular proteolysis is a very efficient process.