Cleaves collagens of types I, II, and III at one site in the helical domain. Also cleaves collagens of types VII and X (By similarity). Able to degrade synthetic peptides and type I and II fibrillar collagen. Cleavage of the triple helix of collagen at about three-quarters of the length of the molecule from the N-terminus, at 775-Gly-|-Ile-776 in the alpha1(I) chain. Cleaves synthetic substrates and alpha-macroglobulins at bonds where P1' is a hydrophobic residue. Binds 4 Ca(2+) ions per subunit. Binds 2 Zn(2+) ions per subunit. Can be activated without removal of the activation peptide. The conserved cysteine present in the cysteine-switch motif binds the catalytic zinc ion, thus inhibiting the enzyme. The dissociation of the cysteine from the zinc ion upon the activation-peptide release activates the enzyme. Belongs to the peptidase M10A family.