Protein Catabolism

Protein catabolism involves the transformation of proteins into amino acids and simple derivative compounds for transport within the cell through the plasma membrane and, ultimately, their polymerization into new proteins through the use of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) and ribosomes. Protein catabolism, which consists of the decomposition of macromolecules, is mainly a digestive process.

This process is usually carried out by non-specific exo-proteases. However, specific proteases are used to break down proteins for regulatory functions. The amino acids produced by catabolism can be recycled directly, used to create new amino acids, or converted into other compounds through the Krebs cycle.

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