Mantis egg fibrolase (MEF) was purified from the egg cases of Tenodera sinensis using ammonium sulfate fractionation, gel filtration on Bio-Gel P-60 and affinity chromatography on DEAE Affi-Gel blue gel. The protease was assessed homogeneous by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and has a molecular mass of 31500 Da. An isoelectric point of 6.1 was determined by isoelectric focusing. Amino acid sequencing of the N-terminal region established a primary structure composed of Ala-Asp-Val-Val-Gln-Gly-Asp-Ala-Pro-Ser. MEF readily digested the Aalpha- and Bbeta-chains of fibrinogen and more slowly the gamma-chain. The nonspecific action of the enzyme results in extensive hydrolysis of fibrinogen and fibrin releasing a variety of fibrinopeptide. The enzyme is inactivated by Cu2+ and Zn2+ and inhibited by PMSF and chymostatin, yet elastinal, aprotinin, TLCK, TPCK, EDTA, EGTA, cysteine, beta-mercaptoethanol, iodoacetate, E64, benzamidine and soybean trypsin inhibitor do not affect activity. Antiplasmin was not sensitive to MEF but antithrombin III inhibited the enzymatic activity of MEF. Among chromogenic protease substrates, the most sensitive to MEF hydrolysis was benzoyl-Phe-Val-Arg-p-nitroanilide with maximal activity at pH 7.0 and 30 degrees C. MEF preferentially cleaved the oxidized B-chain of insulin between Leu15 and Tyr16. D-Dimer concentrations increased on incubation of cross-linked fibrin with MEF, indicating the enzyme has a strong fibrinolytic activity.