Co- and Posttranslational Proteolysis of Proteins

Proteins are the principal components of the protoplasm of all cells and, therefore, are essential to life. Changes to the structure of a protein within the cell are brought about by enzymes, which act as catalysts and allow the modification to the protein to take place. A posttranslational modification occurs when an alteration to a polypeptide chain within the protein is made. The remarkable discovery of over 100 of these posttranslational modifications emphasizes the importance of the process of enzymatic reaction to the structure and function of proteins within living cells. This volume examines a number of different proteases, a type of enzyme, that are required in order for the change to a biologically active mature protein to occur. The discussion of these various proteases is rarely undertaken in one volume and will serve as a great resource for scientists studying the group of proteases on signal peptide processing as well as those working on propeptide processing. These areas of research do not normally overlap, and yet they are each of common importance to the same cell processes.