The members of this family are enzymes that cleave peptides. These proteases require zinc for catalysis. Members of this family contain two conserved disulphide bridges, these are joined 1-4 and 2-3. Members of this family have an amino terminal propeptide which is cleaved to give the active protease domain. All other linked domains are found to the carboxyl terminus of this domain. This family includes: Astacin Swiss:P07584, a digestive enzyme from Crayfish. Meprin, Swiss:Q16819, a multiple domain membrane component that is constructed from a homologous alpha and beta chain. Proteins involved in morphogenesis such as Swiss:P13497, and Tolloid from drosophila Swiss:P25723.

1: Evolutionary families of metallopeptidases. Rawlings ND, Barrett AJ; Meth Enzymol 1995;248:183-228. PMID:7674922