The complete amino acid sequence of duodenase, a new serine endopeptidase from bovine duodenal mucosa, has been determined. The sequence was reconstructed by the automated sequence analysis of the peptides obtained after cleavage with trypsin, Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease, cyanogen bromide and duodenase. The enzyme is composed of 226 amino acid residues yielding a molecular mass of 29.06 kDa. The presence of six cysteine residues and one potential sugar-chain-binding site at Asn50 was revealed. A predicted catalytic triade characteristic of the serine proteases was traced in the duodenase primary structure at the corresponding positions (His44, Asp87 and Ser181 in the sequence). Comparison of the sequence of duodenase with the other known primary structures of mammalian serine proteinases reveales the duodenase identity to granzymes from human and mice, human cathepsin G and mast cell chymases from rat, and gives an overall sequence identity of 47-55% with the mentioned enzymes. Alignment of the known serine protease and duodenase primary structures showed unique amino acid residues within the duodenase substrate-binding pocket at positions 189 (Asn) and 226 (Asp) (the bovine chymotrypsinogen A numbering). These results are discussed with respect to the relation between the duodenase unique residues within the primary specificity pocket S1 and the unusual dual specificity of the enzyme.