Proteases (also called Proteolytic Enzymes, Peptidases, or Proteinases) are enzymes that hydrolyze the amide bonds within proteins or peptides. Most proteases act in a specific manner, hydrolyzing bonds at, or adjacent to, specific residues, or a specific sequence of residues contained within the substrate protein or peptide. Proteases play an important role in most diseases and biological processes, including prenatal and postnatal development, reproduction, signal transduction, immune response, various autoimmune and degenerative diseases, and cancer. They are also an important research tool, as they are frequently used in the analysis and production of proteins. Glu-C cleaves at the Carboxyl side of E (can also cleave D under certain conditions). Recombinant Staphylococcus Glu-C is a 28.8 kDa protease consisting of 266 amino acid residues.