Hydrolysis of poly-L-lysine by pronase

Pronase E is able to hydrolyze poly-L -lysine in 100% yield into the monomer L -lysine. The experiments show an intermediate production of tri-L -lysine and di-L -lysine that are clipped off from the polymeric peptide. During the hydrolytic process a number of characteristic amino acids are released from the enzyme that may indicate its activation. Amino acids as well as mono-L -lysine are decomposed by pronase E after a period of several days.