lysozyme C is a secreted protein and belongs to the glycosyl hydrolase 22 family. Lysozymes have primarily a bacteriolytic function, damage bacterial cell walls by catalyzing hydrolysis of 1,4-beta-linkages between N-acetylmuramic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in a peptidoglycan and between N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues in chitodextrins. Those in tissues and body fluids are associated with the monocyte-macrophage system and enhance the activity of immunoagents. Lysozyme C is capable of both hydrolysis and transglycosylation, it shows also a slight esterase activity. It acts rapidly on both peptide-substituted and unsubstituted peptidoglycan, and slowly on chitin oligosaccharides.
