Chymotrypsin isoenzymes in Atlantic cod; differences in kinetics and substrate specificity

Purification and characterization of chymotrypsin from viscera of vermiculated sailfin catfish, Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus, Weber, 1991

Pterygoplichthys disjunctivus viscera chymotrypsin was purified by fractionation with ammonium sulfate (30-70 % saturation), gel filtration, affinity, and ion exchange chromatography. Chymotrypsin molecular weight was approximately 29 kDa according to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), shown a single band in zymogram. Electrofocusing study suggested being an anionic enzyme (pI ≈ 3.9), exhibiting maximal activity at pH 9 and 50 °C, using Suc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Phe-p-nitroanilide (SAAPNA) as substrate. Enzyme was effectively inhibited by phenyl methyl sulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) (99 %), and N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK) (94 %). Enzyme activity was affected by the following ions in decreasing order: Hg(2+), Fe(2+), Cu(2+), Li(1+), Mg(2+), K(1+), Mn(2+), while Ca(2+) had no effect. Chymotrypsin activity decreased continuously as NaCl concentration increased (from 0 to 30 %). K m and V max values were 0.72 ± 1.4 mM and 1.15 ± 0.06 μmol/min/mg of protein, respectively (SAAPNA as substrate). Results suggest the enzyme has a potential application where low processing temperatures are needed, such as in fish sauce production.

Alkaline chymotrypsin from striped seabream (Lithognathus mormyrus) viscera: purification and characterization

An alkaline chymotrypsin from the intestine of striped seabream (Lithognathus mormyrus) was purified by precipitation with ammonium sulfate, Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, Mono Q-Sepharose anion-exchange chromatography, ultrafiltration, second Sephadex G-100 gel filtration, and a second Mono Q-Sepharose anion-exchange chromatography with a 80-fold increase in specific activity. The molecular weight of the purified alkaline chymotrypsin was estimated to be 27 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and size exclusion chromatography. The enzyme was highly active over a wide range of pH from 7.0 to 12.0, with an optimum at pH 10.0-11.0 using succinyl-L-ala-ala-pro-l-phenylalanine-p-nitroanilide (SAAPNA) as a substrate. The relative activities at pH 7.0 and 12.0 were about 66% and 45.5%, respectively. Further, the enzyme was extremely stable over a broad pH range (6.0-12.0). The optimum temperature for enzyme activity was 50 degrees C, and the enzyme displayed higher enzyme activity at low temperatures when compared to other enzymes. The purified enzyme was strongly inhibited by soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) and phenylmethylsulfonyl-fluoride (PMSF), a serine protein inhibitor, and N-toluenesulfonyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone (TLCK), a chymotrypsin specific inhibitor. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the first nine amino acids was IVNGEEAVP. The chymotrypsin kinetic constants, Km and kcat on SAAPNA as a substrate, were 30.7 microM and 14.35 s(-1), respectively, while the catalytic efficiency kcat/Km was 0.465 microM(-1) s(-1). The high activity at high alkaline pH and low temperatures make this protease a potential candidate for future use in detergent processing industries.

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.

Molecular cloning of the Atlantic cod chymotrypsinogen B

The cDNA encoding Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) chymotrypsinogen B has been isolated and sequenced. Its deduced amino acid sequence consists of a 16-residue signal sequence and a mature polypeptide of 247 residues, being two residues longer than its vertebrate analogs. This mature polypeptide corresponds to a calculated molecular mass of 26.5 kDa and shares 70% sequence identity with cod chymotrypsinogen A. However, the identity between cod chymotrypsinogen B and its other vertebrate analogues is 63-66%. In common with most fish serine proteases, cod chymotrypsinogen B contains a high number of methionine residues. The presence of a threonine instead of a highly conserved serine residue at position 189 is a novel characteristic of this enzyme. Cod chymotrypsin B, as its type B vertebrate analogs, has an alanine at position 226, whereas a glycine is most commonly found at this position in the type A chymotrypsins.

Structure of chymotrypsin variant B from Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua

The amino-acid sequence of chymotrypsin variant B isolated from the pyloric caeca of Atlantic cod has been elucidated. The characterization of the primary structure is based on N-terminal Edman degradation and mass spectrometry of the native protein and enzymatically derived peptides. Chymotrypsin variant B showed 72% sequence identity with the A-variant and 64% and 62%, respectively, with the bovine counterparts A and B, all consisting of 245 amino acids. This new sequence contains a higher proportion of charged residues compared with bovine chymotrypsin but fewer polar hydrogen-bond forming residues which might contribute to its lower thermostability. It also shares the emerging characteristics of other fish serine proteinases which have relatively higher methionine content, including a conserved Met-134 in a loop leading into a domain-connecting strand. The inherent mobility in methionine side-chains may contribute to the maintenance of flexibility at low temperatures. Several amino-acid sequence differences adjacent to the catalytic site are observed in the two cod chymotrypsin variants which also differ in kinetic properties. Unlike the mammalian chymotrypsins, which contain several autolysis sites, cod variant B only contains a single autolysis site. The three-dimensional structures of the A- and B-variants of cod has been modelled on the known crystal structure of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin showing almost superimposable structures.