RESUMO
The egg white of marine turtle (Caretta caretta Linn.) contains two chymotrypsin inhibitors and one trypsin inhibitor. The two chymotrypsin inhibitors were purified to homogeneity, as judged by ion-exchange chromatography, Polyacrylamide gel and sodium dodecyl sulphate-gel electrophoresis, isoelectric focusing, immunochemical tests and sedimenttation in the ultracentrifuge. Their sedimentation coefficient values were independent of protein concentration. Their amino acid composition was similar, and contained seven disulphide bonds, and methionine and carbohydrate moiety were absent. Each inhibitor consisted of a single polypeptide chain of 117 amino acids. The average molecular weight of each inhibitor, calculated from sedimentation and diffusion coefficient values, amino acid composition and sodium dodecyl sulphate-gel electrophoresis was 13000. Both the inhibitors were stable over the pH range of 2–11. They inhibited α-chymotrypsin by forming enzymeinhibitor complexes at a molar ratio of unity. The dissociation constant of each complex was 1·06 × 10–10 M. Both the inhibitors were indistinguishable in their physical, chemical and inhibitory properties except for their isoelectric points which were pH 5·23 for inhibitor A and pH 6·0 for inhibitor B. Chemical modification of all amino groups with trinitrobenzene sulphonate had no effect on their inhibitory activity.