Isolation and characterization of five serine proteases with trypsin-, chymotrypsin- and elastase-like characteristics from the gut of the lugworm Arenicola marina (L.) (Polychaeta)

A structural mechanism of flavonoids in inhibiting serine proteases

The crystal structure of quercerin:uPA reveals that catechol serves as the functional group in inhibiting serine proteases.

A chymotrypsin from the Digestive Tract of California Spiny Lobster, Panulirus interruptus: Purification and Biochemical Characterization

A chymotrypsin was purified from the gastric juice of California spiny lobster (Panulirus interrutpus), using preparative electrophoresis and affinity chromatography on agarose-p-aminobenzamidine. The molecular mass was estimated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) under denaturing conditions to be 28 kDa. Chymotrypsin activity was totally inhibited by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) and chymostatin. Lobster chymotrypsin had optimal pH 7.0-8.0 and temperature of 55 °C. The enzyme is highly stable under a wide range of pH (retaining up to 80 % of activity after 1 h of incubation at pH 3.0, 5.0, and 12.0), showing higher stability at pH 8.0, and was inactivated after 20 min at 55 °C. Lobster chymotrypsin was able to hydrolyze protein substrates at as low as pH 3.0. These results are consistent with the findings of enzyme stability. Activity was assessed after incubation of enzyme with different organic solvents (in the range of 10-50 %); when tested in the presence of acetone, ethanol, propanol, and butanol, lobster chymotrypsin residual activity was >80 %; whereas in the presence of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and toluene, lobster chymotrypsin residual activity was <80 %. Deduced amino acid sequence, corroborated by mass spectrometry, was determined.

Trypsin from Pacifastacus leniusculus hepatopancreas: purification and cDNA cloning of the synthesized zymogen

Trypsin was purified from crayfish, Pacifastacus leniusculus, hepatopancreas, and the gene that encoded this enzyme was cloned from a hepatopancreas cDNA library. Crayfish trypsin is synthesized as a zymogen according to the sequence of the putative precursor peptide. The authenticity of the trypsinogen is supported by the deduced amino acid sequence and confirmed by the N-terminal amino acid sequence of the mature protein. The enzyme has features characteristic of a trypsin, such as a specific binding pocket. Sequence comparison shows that crayfish trypsin is similar to those of other species, with the exception that six cysteine residues present in vertebrates are missing. Some structural characteristics, such as the length of the signal peptide and a calcium binding site, are similar to bacterial trypsin.

Purification and characterization of an SDS-activated fibrinolytic enzyme from Eisenia fetida

A sodium-dodecyl-sulfate-activated fibrinolytic enzyme from Eisenia fetida (the E. fetida enzyme) was purified by chromatography on DEAE Sepharose, Sephadex G-75, and Phenyl Sepharose 4. It (M(r) = 45 kDa) was composed of two subunits (M(r) = 26 kDa and M(r) = 18 kDa) held together by hydrophobic interactions. The enzyme displayed four activities when we used fibrin plates to detect the proteolytic activity. These were designated as CFPg (complete fibrinolysis in the plasminogen-rich plate), uCFPg (uncompleted fibrinolysis in the plasminogen-rich plate), CF (complete fibrinolysis in the plasminogen-free plate), and uCF (uncompleted fibrinolysis in the plasminogen-free plate). SDS activated CFPg and rendered the enzyme more sensitive to some inhibitors. Leupeptin, chymostatin, pepstatin, aprotinin, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and dithiothreitol had no effect on uCF. Pepstatin stimulated CFPg and uCFPg, while E-64, a thiol inhibitor, activated uCFPg and uCF. The N-terminal sequence of the large subunit was analyzed and compared with some known proteins. The large subunit alone had catalytic activity, while the small subunit did not. Using plasminogen as the substrate for defining peptide bond specificity, the E. fetida enzyme was observed to cleave the carboxyl side of basic amino acids, small neutral amino acids, and Met residue.

Purification, characterization and cDNA sequence of an alkaline chymotrypsin from the midgut of Manduca sexta

The chymotrypsin in the midgut of Manduca sexta has been purified, characterized and the cDNA encoding the protein has been cloned. The enzyme exists as a monomer of approx. 24 kDa and shows maximal activity between pH 10.5 and 11.0. Kinetic studies reveal that the Michaelis constant (Km) for the synthetic substrate N-succinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe p-nitroanilide varies only slightly between pH 7.5 and 11.5 and the Dixon plot shows a kinetically significant pKa at 9.2. The specificity of the purified enzyme was determined to be the peptide bond on the carboxyl side of tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, histidine, leucine, threonine and glycine. The protease is inhibited by TPCK, PMSF, chymostatin and DFP. A 1 kilobase chymotrypsin cDNA clone was isolated and sequenced. The cDNA sequence encodes a preproenzyme with a putative 17 amino acid signal sequence, a 41 amino acid activation peptide and a mature enzyme of 235 amino acids. The isolated clone encodes the highly conserved active site residues (His, Asp, Ser) and specificity pocket residues present in bovine chymotrypsinogen B. Northern analysis localizes the mRNA for the chymotrypsin to the anterior and middle third of the midgut.