Ficin- and papain-catalyzed reactions. Effect of temperature on reactivity of the essential sulfhydryl group of ficin in the presence and absence of competitive inhibitors

Effect of Plant-Derived Proteases on Infectivity of Tulane Virus, Murine Norovirus, and Hepatitis A Virus

ABSTRACT

Plant-derived proteases, bromelain, papain, and ficin, are broad-acting enzymes with generally recognized as safe status for foods and have current application in several food industries. These proteases have also been reported to have antimicrobial properties. This study investigated the efficacy of commercially prepared bromelain, papain, and ficin, individually and combined (2,500 ppm of crude extract), for inactivation of hepatitis A virus (HAV) and human norovirus surrogates, Tulane virus (TV), and murine norovirus (MNV). Various treatment temperatures (45, 50, or 55°C), times (10 or 60 min), and pH values (5.5 or 7.0) in the presence of cysteine (2 mM) were evaluated. Inactivation was assessed by infectivity in plaque assay for TV and MNV and by median tissue culture infective dose for HAV. No reduction in infectious TV or HAV was attributed to the plant-derived proteases at any of the conditions tested. Infectious MNV was reduced by 1 to 3 log PFU/mL; the most effective treatment was bromelain at pH 7 and 50°C for 10 min. A time course study with MNV in bromelain at 50°C indicated that a 2-log PFU/mL reduction could be achieved within 6 min, but extended treatment of 15 min was still insufficient to eliminate infectious MNV. The lack of or limited efficacy of bromelain, papain, and ficin on HAV, TV, and MNV, even at elevated temperatures and exposure times, suggests the plant-derived proteases are not commercially applicable for inactivation of virus on commodities or materials that could not also withstand mild heat treatment. The variable susceptibilities observed between TV and MNV illustrate limitations in utilization of surrogates for predicting pathogen behavior for a structure-specific treatment.

HIGHLIGHTS

Utilization of the free energy of the reversible binding of protein and modifying agent towards the rate-enhancement of protein covalent modification

An analysis is presented of the catalytic factors responsible for the rate-enhancement that may be observed when a protein modification reaction is compared with a reaction of the same modifying agent with a model micromolecular compound exhibiting the same reactive group as the protein under study. It is seen that affinity-mediated rate-enhancement of protein modification is realized by the loss of activation entropy. On the assumption that attainment of maximal affinity-mediated rate-enhancement presents with an activation entropy of the protein modification reaction equal to zero, whereas the activation enthalpy of the reaction remains unchanged, it is shown that the value for maximal affinity-mediated rate-enhancement is equal to e-delta s++/R. Accordingly, protein modification reactions may be differentiated into (i) reactions the rate-enhancement of which (relative to the reaction of the same modifying agent with a model compound) is primarily entropy-controlled and (ii) reactions the rate-enhancement of which is primarily enthalpy-controlled. It is seen that modifying agents of low reactivity towards model compounds, but with a high, i.e. highly negative, activation entropy are better suited as prospective affinity-based protein-modifying agents, since the potential affinity-mediated rate-enhancement, and hence the selectivity, of these compounds is necessarily high. Kinetic and thermodynamic constants of the reaction of modifying agents with proteins, and with model compounds, and values of maximal affinity-mediated rate-enhancement, based on published data of the reaction of several modifying agents with model compounds, are presented and discussed.

A transition-state analysis of the enzyme catalysis in the affinity labelling of horse-liver alcohol dehydrogenase by bromoacids

The effect of temperature on the inactivation of liver alcohol dehydrogenase and on the alkylation of a model thiol free in solution by bromoacetate, 2-bromopropionate, 3-bromopropionate and 2-bromo-3-(5-imidazolyl)-propionate has been studied and the thermodynamic activation parameters calculated. All the bromoacids had a favourable entrôpy of activation in reaction with the enzyme compared to the model reaction with the thiolate anion of cysteine. This results from the formation of a reversible bromoacid-enzyme complex prior to the irreversible inactivation. The enthalpy of activation is however unfavourable, due to the lower intrinsic reactivity of the metal-thiol in the enzyme, compared to the thiolate anion of cysteine. The difference in free energy of activation between the enzyme reaction and the model reaction was used to measure catalysis. The efficiency of the enzyme catalysis of alkylation increased in the order: bromoacetate less than 2-bromopropionate less than 3-bromopropionate less than 2-bromo-3-(5-imidazolyl)propionate. Promotion by imidazole of enzyme inactivation by bromoacetate is a pure enthalpy effect. This is due to imidazole when bound to the active-site metal improving the intrinsic reactivity of the metal-thiol of Cys-46.