Lysozyme, from chicken egg white

Lysozyme is a naturally occurring enzyme that functions in the innate immune system of animals. The enzyme catalyses the hydrolysis of peptidoglycans in Gram-positive bacteria cell walls, causing bacterial cell lysis. Due to its antibacterial properties, lysozyme is often used as a food preservative and as an ingredient in acne treatments. Within a laboratory setting, lysozyme is used to access proteins within the bacterial periplasm and in the production of spheroplasts and protoplasts. Lysozyme is found in egg whites in large quantities.