The complete enzymic hydrolysis of crosslinked proteins

Procedures used for the complete enzymic hydrolysis of proteins are reviewed. The successful application of complete enzymic hydrolysis in the detection of naturally occurring isopeptide crosslinks and various other types of chemically introduced crosslinks is described. The method may fail if the level of crosslinking is too high, or if crosslinking is accompanied by racemization. Although it is usual to cleave disulphide crosslinks prior to enzymic digestion, the necessity for this in all cases is questioned.