Can you hydrolyse an amide group like you can an ester?

[visceral]

^

 

I did this hypothetically in an answer to a chemistry question, though I have no idea if I was right...Looked right though as all the atoms had their correct number of bonds.

[CaptainPanic]

Yes, peptide bonds (as I prefer to call amides) can be hydrolysed. This can be done chemically (either at low or high pH and about 100 deg C, and in water (of course, since I mentioned pH)) or enzymatically (in that case you need to get the right enzyme for the right type of peptide bond):

 

The peptide bonds are for example found in proteins (the amino acids are bonded like that). For hydrolysis of those, you can use "proteinase". There exist many different types of proteinase... but a cheap one is found in laundry detergent (if I'm not mistaken).

[visceral]

Yay! Thanks for reply.

[UC]

The peptide bonds are for example found in proteins (the amino acids are bonded like that). For hydrolysis of those, you can use "proteinase". There exist many different types of proteinase... but a cheap one is found in laundry detergent (if I'm not mistaken).

 

Mmmm. good old proteases. Meat tenderizer has plenty. These are usually papain or bromelain.

[CaptainPanic]

Thanks UC.

Indeed, they are both called proteases, and proteinase. (I believe that it's the same group of enzymes, therefore the same thing).

[CharonY]

Actually they are not the same thing, though admittedly they are often used interchangeably. Protease is the generic term for all peptide hydrolases which includes endo- as well as exopeptidases. A proteinase is another term for an endopeptidase. At least it was traditionally that way. Since them it has become muddled a bit.

[CaptainPanic]

Thanks for correcting. My post is the result of a chemical engineer talking biochemical stuff. In my field, they're the same thing. In the book of the expert, they're not