HYDROLYSIS OF TRIGLYCERIDES BY A BACTERIAL PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME

Kinetics of subtilisin and thiolsubtilisin

Subtilisin is a bacterial serine protease with a broad specificity in the S1 subsite. It has been very extensively studied using a variety of kinetic and physical techniques. A chemical derivative, thiolsubtilisin, has been subjected to similar studies in order to analyze the effects of the OH to SH conversion on enzyme activity. The native structure of thiolsubtilisin is indicated by a variety of physical techniques. Oligopeptides bind nearly equally well to both enzymes, and a peptide chloromethylketone is much more reactive to thiolsubtilisin than to subtilisin. Both enzymes have a similar level of activity towards activated nonspecific amides and esters. However, thiolsubtilisin is inactive towards highly specific peptide amides and esters. Thiolsubtilisin also does not show good binding to boronic and arsonic acids. The observation that these transition state analog inhibitors bind poorly to thiolsubtilisin while other compounds bind nearly equally well to both enzymes suggests that thiolsubtilisin may not be able to stabilize the transition state during acylation by specific substrates.

Dissociatiion of esterase from proteinase activity of Bacillus subtilis spores

Preparations of ballistically disintegrated Bacillus subtilis spores have been shown to possess proteinase in addition to esterase activities. Both proteinase and esterase activities have been suggested as trigger for the initiation of germination, but information on these two activities in bacterial endospores is scant. Since some proteinases catalyze the hydrolysis of esters, there exists a possible identity of some esterases with proteinases. To get information on the esterase and proteinase activities of B. subtilis spores, the sensitivity to heat and to inhibitors was explored. The thermal effect and the effect of certain inhibitors on esterase activities towards several esters suggested that an unspecific esterase was responsible for these activities.Differential effects of heat, pH, and inhibitors on esterase and proteinase activities indicated the dual nature of these two activities. In absence of convincing experimental evidence to the contrary, the present indication seems to be that the esterase activities observed in B. subtilis spores were dissociated from the activity which hydrolyzes casein. The esterase activity was readily inhibited by diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate, diisopropylphosphofluoridate, eserine, sodium fluoride, and Zn ions, and possessed properties of a B-esterase. The proteinase activity was inhibited only by diisopropylphosphofluoridate showing properties, so far studied, similar to subtilopeptidase.