Meat tenderizing, enzymes role

Calcium ion is a known activator of many biochemical processes. The calcium-activated neutral protease (CANP) plays an important role in postmortem tenderizing of meat. The function of the metal ion in such an enzyme is believed to be either neutralization of the charges on the surface, by preventing electrostatic repulsion of subunits, or effecting of a conformational change required for association of the subunits. Thus the metal ions must be present in a specific state to perform this function. 

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