α-Chymotrypsin is a serine peptidase and has 241 amino acid residues contained in three polypeptide chains (A chain-13 residues, B chain-131 residues, and C chain-97 residues) linked by disulfide bridges. Molecular weight of this enzyme is found to be 25 kDa. Its pI is 8,75. It selectively hydrolyses peptide bonds on the C-terminal side of tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and leucine. Ca²⁺ activates and stabilizes the enzyme. The enzyme is inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), N-p-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), chymostatin, aprotinin, α1-antitrypsin, α2-macroglobulin, 10 mM Cu²⁺ and Hg²⁺.A serine protease that hydrolyzes peptide bonds with aromatic or large hydrophobic side chains (Tyr, Trp, Phe, Met, Leu) on the carboxyl end of the bond.

α-Chymotrypsin from Sigma has been used to determine the crystal structures of two homologous inhibitors (pars intercerebralis major peptide-C and pars intercerebralis major peptide-D2v) from the insect Locusta migratoria by forming a complex with the enzyme.