Background information
Bleomycin hydrolase (BMH) is a cytoplasmic cysteine peptidase that is highly conserved through evolution; however, the only known activity of the enzyme is metabolic inactivation of the glycopeptide bleomycin (BLM), an essential component of combination chemotherapy regimens for cancer. The protein contains the signature active site residues of the cysteine protease papain superfamily. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].