Which enzyme hydrolyzes peptide bonds?

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Proteases are enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of peptide bonds, which link amino acids in proteins. They add a water molecule to break the bond between adjacent amino acids, enabling protein digestion and turnover. Other enzymes act on different bond types: glycosidases cleave glycosidic bonds in carbohydrates, lipases break ester bonds in lipids, and nucleases cut phosphodiester bonds in nucleic acids. Since the question asks about hydrolyzing peptide bonds, proteases are the correct match.