N-methylacetamide is often used as the simplest model in studies of the peptide bond.
It showed, however, that had amino acids formed under these conditions, they could go on to form peptide bonds.
The amino acid residues are always joined by peptide bonds.
A peptide bond can be broken by hydrolysis (the adding of water).
Living organisms also employ enzymes to form peptide bonds; this process requires free energy.
This trio works together to break peptide bonds on polypeptides.
However, not all peptide bonds are formed in this way.
This is accomplished through the cleavage of peptide bonds in the target proteins.
At higher temperatures (37 to 60 C), peptide bonds assist in the formation of the reaction product.
The planarity of the peptide bonds can be imposed as a further constraint.