A rapid and convenient spectrophotometric assay has been devised to measure proteolysis. The assay is based on the reaction of o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) and 2-mercaptoethanol with amino groups released during proteolysis of a protein substrate. The reaction is specific for primary amines in amino acids, peptides, and proteins, approaches completion within 1 to 2 min at 25 degrees C (half-times of approx 10-15 s), and requires no preliminary heating or separation of the hydrolyzed products from the undegraded protein substrate prior to performing the assay. The OPA assay was relatively as successful as a 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) procedure in predicting the extent of hydrolysis of a protein substrate. The utility of the OPA method was demonstrated by measuring the degree of proteolytic degradation caused by trypsin, subtilisin, Pronase, and chymotrypsin of various soluble protein substrates. Ethanethiol (instead of 2-mercaptoethanol) or 50% of dimethyl sulfoxide can be included in the assay solution to stabilize certain OPA-amine products. The present method approaches the sensitivity of ninhydrin and TNBS procedures, is more convenient and rapid, and could substitute for these reagents in most assay systems.