Chymotrypsin
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Chymotrypsin is a digestive enzyme produced in the pancreas that helps break down proteins and polypeptides. It's used in the small intestine to break down proteins into individual amino acids. Chymotrypsin specifically targets the aromatic amino acids, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and tryptophan.
To digest proteins we have brush border enzymes, peptidases. The pancreas contributes trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen. When you see -gen at the end of an enzyme’s name that means it’s not ready to work yet. There’s an enzyme on the brush border called enteropeptidase to specifically break down trypsinogen into trypsin and chymotrypsinogen into chymotrypsin.
Chymotrypsin has also been used in medicine, particularly in assisting cataract surgery.
Chymotrypsin is stable for days in solution at pH 3.0 and for years as a dry powder at 2-8°C. It should be protected from moisture.
Rarely, chymotrypsin might cause an allergic reaction when taken by mouth. Symptoms include:
- Itching
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling of the lips or throat
- Shock
- Loss of consciousness
- Death
When used in the eyes, alpha chymotrypsin can cause:
- Corneal edema
- Increased intraocular pressure
- Uveitis