What is the substrate for pepsin?

What is the substrate for pepsin?

• A. Lipids
• B. Nucleic Acids
• C. Proteins and Peptides
• D. Carbohydrates

Answer: (C)

Pepsin is a gastric protease that works in the stomach’s acidic environment to break peptide bonds in proteins. Its substrates are proteins and peptides, which is why digestion begins there, producing smaller peptide fragments. It does not act on lipids, nucleic acids, or carbohydrates—those substrates are handled by other enzymes (lipases for fats, nucleases for nucleic acids, and amylases for carbohydrates). Pepsin is produced as pepsinogen and activated by stomach acid, optimizing proteolysis of protein substrates in that environment.

Pepsin is a gastric protease that works in the stomach’s acidic environment to break peptide bonds in proteins. Its substrates are proteins and peptides, which is why digestion begins there, producing smaller peptide fragments. It does not act on lipids, nucleic acids, or carbohydrates—those substrates are handled by other enzymes (lipases for fats, nucleases for nucleic acids, and amylases for carbohydrates). Pepsin is produced as pepsinogen and activated by stomach acid, optimizing proteolysis of protein substrates in that environment.