Pancreatic proteolytic enzymes of ostrich purified on immobilized protein inhibitors. Characterization of a new form of chymotrypsin (Chtr1).

Four forms of chymotrypsin (Chtr1, Chtr2, Chtr3, Chtr4), one form of trypsin and one form of elastase were purified from a slightly alkaline extract of ostrich (Struthio camelus) pancreas. The zymogens in the crude extract were activated with immobilized trypsin and then separated by affinity chromatography using immobilized inhibitors and ion exchange chromatography. One of the purified forms of chymotrypsin (Chtr1) exhibited an unusual interaction with the highly selective protein trypsin inhibitor from Cucurbita maxima (CMTI). Interactions with other protein trypsin inhibitors such as basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI), trypsin inhibitors from Cyclanthera pedata (CyPTI), Cucurbita pepo (CPTI), Cucurbita pepo var. giramontia (CPGTI) and Linum usitatissimum (LUTI) were also investigated. This study demonstrated the affinity of Chtr1 to inhibitors containing Arg at P1 position. Studies of substrate specificity of Chtr1 using oxidized B-chain of insulin revealed four susceptible bonds: Tyr15-Leu16, Phe24-Phe25, Phe25-Tyr26 and, surprisingly, Arg22-Gly23. The amino acid composition, as well as the first 13 residues of the N-terminal amino acid sequence, was determined. Studies of ostrich elastase showed that it can interact with immobilized CMTI in the presence of 5 M NaCl. This unusual characteristic is reported for the first time and suggests that elastase specificity depends on ionic strength. The kinetic constants K(M), k(cat) and k(cat)/K(M) for purified ostrich trypsin, chymotrypsin 4 and elastase were also determined.

Non-conventional affinity chromatography of serine proteinases and their inhibitors.

From among a wide variety of protein purification techniques affinity chromatography has proved to be particularly effective for separation of proteolytic enzymes and their inhibitors. In this article, following a general description of affinity adsorbents used for purification of proteinases, we overview a simple separation procedure for some serine proteinases and their inhibitors by way of affinity chromatography in the presence of high NaCl concentration. It has been shown that some highly specific trypsin inhibitors exhibit also antichymotrypsin activity when high concentration of Na(+) but not K(+) or Li(+) ions are present in the reaction mixture. Taking advantage of this phenomenon the virgin forms of trypsin inhibitors from squash seeds, Kazal-type inhibitor from porcine pancreas and alpha(1)-proteinase inhibitor from human and sheep plasma, as an example, were separated using immobilized chymotrypsin or its inactive derivative methylchymotrypsin in the presence of 5 M NaCl.