Dipeptidyl peptidases (DPPs) are widely distributed exopeptidases that hydrolyse the dipeptide moieties from the N-termini of oligopeptide chains. In the present study, DPP-I was purified from germinated moong bean seeds via acid and ammonium sulphate precipitation followed by successive chromatographies, that is, gel filtration (pH 7.4), cation exchange (pH 5.9) and anion exchange (pH 7.5). The purity of the enzyme was confirmed by native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and in situ gel assay. Purified plant DPP-I is a monomeric enzyme with a molecular weight of 38 kDa. It works optimally at pH 7.0 and 40 degrees C, and it exhibits stability at pH ranging from acidic to slightly alkaline. Plant DPP-I preferentially hydrolyses glycine-arginine-4-methoxy-beta-naphthylamide and various other synthetic dipeptidyl substrates, but none of the studied endopeptidase and monopeptidase substrates. Inhibitory studies revealed the role of Cys and His amino acids in the catalytic mechanism. Functional studies of DPP-I revealed the significant role of this glycoproteinous enzyme in protein mobilization during germination. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd.