CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN : V. ISOLATION OF CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN FROM BOVINE GASTRIC JUICE

1. A method has been described for isolating a crystalline protein with high proteolytic activity from bovine gastric juice by means of precipitation with magnesium sulfate and fractionation of the precipitate with acetone and magnesium sulfate. 2. The crystalline protein obtained in this way has the same crystalline form, optical activity, and specific activity, as determined by a number of methods, as does the crystalline protein previously isolated from swine gastric mucosa. 3. The solubility of the two preparations, however, is additive so that they are different although very closely related proteins.     

CRYSTALLINE ACETYL DERIVATIVES OF PEPSIN

Crystalline pepsin has been acetylated by the action of ketene in aqueous solution at pH 4.07–5.5. As acetylation proceeds the activity decreases, the decrease being more rapid at pH 5.0–5.5 than at 4.0–4.5. Three acetyl derivatives have been isolated from the reaction mixture and obtained in crystalline form. The crystal form of these derivatives is similar to that of pepsin. Fractionation and solubility determinations show that these preparations are not mixtures or solid solutions of the original pepsin with an inactive derivative. A compound which contains three or four acetyl groups and which has lost all of its original primary amino groups can be isolated after short acetylation. It has the same activity as the original pepsin. A second derivative containing six to eleven acetyl groups has also been isolated. It has about 60 per cent of the activity of the original pepsin. A third derivative having twenty to thirty acetyl groups and about 10 per cent of the activity of original pepsin can be isolated after prolonged acetylation. The 60 per cent active derivative on standing in strong acid solution loses some of its acetyl groups and at the same time regains the activity of the original pepsin. The compound obtained in this way is probably the same as the completely active three acetyl derivative obtained by mild acetylation. These results show that acetylation of three or four of the primary amino groups of pepsin causes no change in the specific activity of the enzyme but that the introduction of acetyl groups in other parts of the molecule results in a marked loss in activity. The solubilities, amino nitrogen content, acetyl content, isoelectric point, and the specific activity have been determined by a variety of methods and found to be different from the corresponding properties of crystalline pepsin. The pH-activity curves, acid and alkali inactivation, and titration curves were not significantly different from the same respective properties of pepsin.     

ABSORPTION OF PEPSIN BY CRYSTALLINE PROTEINS

Crystalline proteins, such as edestin or melon globulin, remove pepsin from solution. The pepsin protein is taken up as such and the quantity of protein taken up by the foreign protein is just equivalent to the peptic activity found in the complex. The formation of the complex depends on the pH and is at a maximum at pH 4.0. An insoluble complex is formed and precipitates when pepsin and edestin solutions are mixed and the maximum precipitation is also at pH 4.0. The composition of the precipitate varies with the relative quantity of pepsin and edestin. It contains a maximum quantity of pepsin when the ratio of pepsin to edestin is about 2 to 1. This complex may consist of 75 per cent pepsin and have three-quarters of the activity of crystalline pepsin itself. The pepsin may be extracted from the complex by washing with cold N/4 sulfuric acid. If the complex is dissolved in acid solution at about pH 2.0 the foreign protein is rapidly digested and the pepsin protein is left and may be isolated. The pepsin protein may be identified by its tyrosine plus tryptophane content, basic nitrogen content, crystalline form and specific activity.     

CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN : IV. HYDROLYSIS AND INACTIVATION BY ACID

The decrease in protein nitrogen and in the activity of solutions of crystalline pepsin at pH 1.8 and 45°C. has been determined. The decrease in activity, as measured with eleven different methods, is in exact proportion to the decrease of protein nitrogen of the solution. The measurements were continued until less than 5 per cent of the original protein remained. These results indicate that none of the split products of the protein molecule possess any appreciable activity compared to that of the original protein.     

ELECTROPHORESIS OF PEPSIN

1. A number of pepsin solutions containing several protein components have been studied by the electrophoresis method. All samples show a homogeneous boundary moving to the anode at pH 4.4. 2. The activity of this material may be higher than that of the original solution on the basis of total nitrogen but is the same as that of the original solution on the basis of protein nitrogen. 3. There is no separation of the various protein components under these conditions. 4. The apparent isoelectric point at pH 2.7, previously obtained by the collodion particle method is due to the presence of decomposition products. Pure crystalline pepsin, free from decomposition products, is always negatively charged.     

CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN : II. GENERAL PROPERTIES

A method is described for isolating a crystalline protein of high tryptic activity from beef pancreas. The protein has constant proteolytic activity and optical activity under various conditions and no indication of further fractionation could be obtained. The loss in activity corresponds to the decrease in native protein when the protein is denatured by heat, digested by pepsin, or hydrolyzed in dilute alkali. The enzyme digests casein, gelatin, edestin, and denatured hemoglobin, but not native hemoglobin. It accelerates the coagulation of blood but has little effect on the clotting of milk. It digests peptone prepared by the action of pepsin on casein, edestin or gelatin. The extent of the digestion of gelatin caused by this enzyme is the same as that caused by crystalline pepsin and is approximately equivalent to tripling the number of carboxyl groups present in the solution. The activity of the preparation is not increased by enterokinase. The molecular weight by osmotic pressure measure is about 34,000. The diffusion coefficient in ½ saturated magnesium sulfate at 6°C. is 0.020 ±0.001 cm.² per day, corresponding to a molecular radius of 2.6 x 10^–7 cm. The isoelectric point is probably between pH 7.0 and pH 8.0. The optimum pH for the digestion of casein is from 8.0–9.0. The optimum stability is at pH 1.8.     

CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN : VI. INACTIVATION BY BETA AND GAMMA RAYS FROM RADIUM AND BY ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT

1. The loss in activity of crystalline pepsin solutions when exposed to beta and gamma rays from radium or to ultra-violet light is accompanied by a corresponding decrease in pepsin protein. 2. The rate of inactivation by ultra-violet light depends upon the pH and is a maximum at about pH 2.0.     

CRYSTALLIZATION OF PEPSIN FROM ALCOHOL

1. Pepsin is soluble in 65 per cent alcohol and may be readily crystallized from 20 per cent alcohol. The crystals appear as needles or plates which may be transformed into the usual hexagonal bipyramids by recrystallization from water. The different crystals are probably two crystalline forms of the same chemical substance. 2. The enzyme is quite stable in 20 per cent alcohol at pH 2.0 but is inactivated by high concentrations of alcohol. 3. The enzyme is stable for several hours in 65 per cent alcohol at pH 4.0 to 5.0 but is rapidly inactivated in more acid solution. 4. No increase in activity could be noted after treatment with hydrogen peroxide. 5. No proteolytic activity either before or after treatment with hydrogen peroxide could be found in trichloracetic acid filtrates, butyl alcohol extracts of pepsin preparations, or oxidized phenylhydrazine solutions.     

CRYSTALLINE RIBONUCLEASE

1. A crystalline enzyme capable of digesting yeast nucleic acid has been isolated from fresh beef pancreas. 2. The enzyme called "ribonuclease" is a soluble protein of albumin type. Its molecular weight is about 15,000. Its isoelectric point is in the region of pH 8.0. 3. Ribonuclease splits yeast nucleic acid into fragments small enough to diffuse readily through collodion or cellophane membranes. 4. The split products of digestion, unlike the undigested yeast nucleic acid, are not precipitable with glacial acetic acid or dilute hydrochloric acid. 5. The digestion of yeast nucleic acid is accompanied by a gradual formation of free acid groups without any significant liberation of free phosphoric acid. 6. Ribonuclease is stable over a wide range of pH even when heated for a short time at 100°C. Its maximum stability is in the range of pH 2.0 to 4.5. 7. Denaturation of the protein of ribonuclease by heat or alkali, or digestion of the protein by pepsin, causes a corresponding percentage loss in the enzymatic activity of the material.     

CRYSTALLINE SOYBEAN TRYPSIN INHIBITOR : II. GENERAL PROPERTIES

A study has been made of the general properties of crystalline soybean trypsin inhibitor. The soy inhibitor is a stable protein of the globulin type of a molecular weight of about 24,000. Its isoelectric point is at pH 4.5. It inhibits the proteolytic action approximately of an equal weight of crystalline trypsin by combining with trypsin to form a stable compound. Chymotrypsin is only slightly inhibited by soy inhibitor. The reaction between chymotrypsin and the soy inhibitor consists in the formation of a reversibly dissociable compound. The inhibitor has no effect on pepsin. The inhibiting action of the soybean inhibitor is associated with the native state of the protein molecule. Denaturation of the soy protein by heat or acid or alkali brings about a proportional decrease in its inhibiting action on trypsin. Reversal of denaturation results in a proportional gain in the inhibiting activity. Crystalline soy protein when denatured is readily digestible by pepsin, and less readily by chymotrypsin and by trypsin. Methods are given for measuring trypsin and inhibitor activity and also protein concentration with the aid of spectrophotometric density measurements at 280 mµ.     

INACTIVATION OF PEPSIN BY IODINE : II. ISOLATION OF CRYSTALLINEl-MONO-IODOTYROSINE FROM PARTIALLY IODINATED PEPSIN

1. Pepsin solutions were iodinated at pH 5.0–6.0 until 10–20 per cent of the activity was lost and 1/20 (0.7 per cent) of the saturating amount of iodine had been introduced into the protein molecule. After alkaline hydrolysis 65 per cent of the original iodine was accounted for as mono-iodotyrosine although only 42 per cent was isolated as a crystalline product. No evidence was obtained to support the possibility that any group other than tyrosine in pepsin was iodinated. 2. Some of the properties of the crystalline l-mono-iodotyrosine were determined and compared to those of di-iodotyrosine. 3. One iodinated pepsin preparation was crystallized. The crystal form was the same as that of the original pepsin. A solubility curve of the crystals demonstrated that it was very different from pepsin and had nearly constant solubility.     

THE DIFFUSION COEFFICIENT OF CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN

The diffusion coefficient of crystalline trypsin in 0.5 saturated magnesium sulfate at 5°C. is 0.020 ±0.001 cm.² per day, corresponding to a molecular radius of 2.6 x 10^–7 cm. The rate of diffusion of the proteolytic activity is the same as that of the protein nitrogen, indicating that these two properties are held together in chemical combination and not in the form of an adsorption complex.     

THE ABSORPTION OF ULTRA-VIOLET RADIATION BY CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN

Determination of the absorption spectra of pure preparations of Northrop''s crystalline pepsin inactivated by irradiation with ultra-violet light shows that the total absorption in the ultra-violet region of the spectrum increases with the degree of inactivation. This increase is especially marked between 2400 and 2750 Å.u. The rate of photoinactivation is shown to be sensitive to changes in pH, increasing with lower values, and evidently bears a one-quantum relationship to the energy flux. Tests of the rate of inactivation of pepsin exposed to several different bands of the ultra-violet spectrum, in relation to the absorbed energy, indicate that the destruction spectrum of the enzyme agrees essentially with its absorption spectrum and is similar to that of urease.     

INACTIVATION OF CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN

1. The rate of inactivation of crystalline trypsin solutions and the nature of the products formed during the inactivation at various pH at temperatures below 37°C. have been studied. 2. The inactivation may be reversible or irreversible. Reversible inactivation is accompanied by the formation of reversibly denatured protein. This denatured protein exists in equilibrium with the native active protein and the equilibrium is shifted towards the denatured form by raising the temperature or by increasing the alkalinity. The decrease in the fraction of active enzyme present (due to the formation of this reversibly denatured protein) as the pH is increased from 8.0 to 12.0 accounts for the decrease in the rate of digestion of proteins by trypsin in this range of pH. 3. The loss of activity at high temperatures or in alkaline solutions, just described, is very rapid and is completely reversible for a short time only. If the solutions are allowed to stand the loss in activity becomes gradually irreversible and is accompanied by the appearance of various reaction products the nature of which depends upon the temperature and pH of the solution. 4. On the acid side of pH 2.0 the trypsin protein is changed to an inactive form which is irreversibly denatured by heat. The course of the reaction in this range is monomolecular and its velocity increases as the acidity increases. 5. From pH 2.0 to 9.0 trypsin protein is slowly hydrolyzed. The course of the inactivation in this range of pH is bimolecular and its velocity increases as the alkalinity increases to pH 10.0 and then decreases. As a result of these two reactions there is a point of maximum stability at about pH 2.3. 6. On the alkaline side of pH 13.0 the reaction is similar to that in strong acid solution and consists in the formation of inactive protein. The course of the reaction is monomolecular and the velocity increases with increasing alkalinity. From pH 9.0 to 12.0 some hydrolysis takes place and some inactive protein is formed and the course of the reaction is represented by the sum of a bi- and monomolecular reaction. The rate of hydrolysis decreases as the solution becomes more alkaline than pH 10.0 while the rate of formation of inactive protein increases so that there is a second point at about pH 13.0 at which the rate of inactivation is a minimum. In general the decrease in activity under all these conditions is proportional to the decrease in the concentration of the trypsin protein. Equations have been derived which agree quantitatively with the various inactivation experiments.     

CRYSTALLINE CHYMO-TRYPSIN AND CHYMO-TRYPSINOGEN : I. ISOLATION,CRYSTALLIZATION, AND GENERAL PROPERTIES OF A NEW PROTEOLYTIC ENZYME AND ITS PRECURSOR

A new crystalline protein, chymo-trypsinogen, has been isolated from acid extracts of fresh cattle pancreas. This protein is not an enzyme but is transformed by minute amounts of trypsin into an active proteolytic enzyme called chymo-trypsin. The chymo-trypsin has also been obtained in crystalline form. The chymo-trypsinogen cannot be activated by enterokinase, pepsin, inactive trypsin, or calcium chloride. There is an extremely slow spontaneous activation upon standing in solution. The activation of chymo-trypsinogen by trypsin follows the course of a monomolecular reaction the velocity constant of which is proportional to the trypsin concentration and independent of the chymotrypsinogen concentration. The rate of activation is a maximum at pH 7.0–8.0. Activation is accompanied by an increase of six primary amino groups per mole but no split products could be found, indicating that the activation consists in an intramolecular rearrangement. There is a slight change in optical activity but no change in molecular weight. The physical and chemical properties of both proteins are constant through a series of fractional crystallizations. The activity of chymo-trypsin decreases in proportion to the destruction of the native protein by pepsin digestion or denaturation by heat or acid. Chymo-trypsin has powerful milk-clotting power but does not clot blood plasma and differs qualitatively in this respect from the crystalline trypsin previously reported. It hydrolyzes sturin, casein, gelatin, and hemoglobin more slowly than does crystalline trypsin but the hydrolysis of casein is carried much further. The hydrolysis takes place at different linkages from those attacked by trypsin. The optimum pH for the digestion of casein is about 8.0–9.0. It does not hydrolyze any of a series of dipeptides or polypeptides tested. Several chemical and physical properties of both proteins have been determined.     

INACTIVATION OF PEPSIN BY IODINE AND THE ISOLATION OF DIIODO-TYROSINE FROM IODINATED PEPSIN

In the presence of iodine at pH 5.0–6.0 a solution of pepsin absorbs iodine and the specific proteolytic activity of the solution decreases. The activity is less than 1 per cent of the original activity when the number of iodine atoms per mol of pepsin is 35–40. If the pH is 4.5 or less, iodine reacts very slowly and there is a correspondingly slower loss in activity. Glycyl tyrosine reacts with iodine in a manner similar to pepsin. Experiments were performed to determine the extent to which oxidation of pepsin by iodine occurs during iodination, and if such oxidation were responsible for the loss in enzymatic activity. Although the results were not absolutely decisive, there seems to be no appreciable oxidation taking place during iodination and no relationship between the slight oxidation and loss in peptic activity. From a dialyzed preparation of completely iodinated pepsin which was inactive and contained 13.4 per cent bound iodine, 82 per cent of the iodine was obtained in a solution which analyzed as a solution of diiodo-tyrosine. Because of the presence of a material which contained no iodine and prevented quantitative crystallization, only 53 per cent of the iodine containing substance could be crystallized. This 53 per cent was, however, identified as diiodo-tyrosine. The part of the titration curve which in pepsin and most proteins represents the phenolic group of tyrosine was, in the curve for iodinated pepsin, shifted toward the acid region as expected. From these results, it appears that the loss in proteolytic activity of pepsin, when treated with iodine under the specified conditions, is due to the reaction of the iodine with the tyrosine in pepsin.     

FORMATION OF NEW CRYSTALLINE ENZYMES FROM CHYMOTRYPSIN : ISOLATION OF BETA AND GAMMA CHYMOTRYPSIN

A solution of chymotrypsin on slight hydrolysis undergoes an irreversible change into new proteins, two of which are enzymes and have been isolated in crystalline form. The new crystalline enzymes, called beta and gamma chymotrypsins, differ from the original chymotrypsin as well as from each other in many physical and chemical respects, such as molecular weight, crystalline form, solubility, and combining capacity with acid. The new enzymes still possess the same enzymatic properties as chymotrypsin. It thus appears that the irreversible change from chymotrypsin to the new enzymes does not affect the structure responsible for the enzymatic activity of the molecule. The solubility curves of the new enzymes agree approximately with the curves for a solid phase of one component and furnish very good evidence that the preparations represent distinct substances. The various enzymes when mixed at the proper pH have a tendency to form mixed crystals of the solid solution type. Thus at pH 4.0 gamma chymotrypsin combines to form solid solution crystals with either alpha or beta chymotrypsin. Hence at this pH separation of gamma from either alpha or beta by means of fractional crystallization is impossible. At pH 5.0–6.0, however, each material crystallizes in its own characteristic form and at its own rate; thus a fractional separation of the various enzymes from each other becomes feasible.     

ISOLATION,CRYSTALLIZATION, AND PROPERTIES OF PEPSIN INHIBITOR

A method has been described for the isolation and crystallization of swine pepsin inhibitor from swine pepsinogen. Solubility experiments and fractional recrystallization show no drift in specific activity. The reversible combination of pepsin with the inhibitor was found to obey the mass law. The inhibitor is quite specific, failing to act on other proteolytic and milk clotting enzymes. The inhibitor is destroyed by pepsin at pH 3.5. Chemical and physical studies indicate that the inhibitor is a polypeptide of approximately 5,000 molecular weight with an isoelectric point at pH 3.7. It contains arginine, tyrosine, but no tryptophane and has basic groups in its structure.     

THE PRESENCE OF A GELATIN-LIQUEFYING ENZYME IN CRUDE PEPSIN PREPARATIONS

A protein fraction has been isolated from crude pepsin preparations which is about 400 times as active as crystalline pepsin in the lique-faction of gelatin. The activity as measured by the digestion of casein, edestin or egg albumin is less than that of crystalline pepsin. It is more resistant to alkali than the crystalline pepsin.     

FRACTIONATION OF PEPSIN : I. ISOLATION OF CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN OF CONSTANT ACTIVITY AND SOLUBILITY FROM PEPSINOGEN OR COMMERCIAL PEPSIN PREPARATIONS. II. PREPARATION OF A LESS SOLUBLE FRACTION. III. SOLUBILITY CURVES OF MIXTURES OF THE SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE FRACTIONS. IV. PREPARATION OF HIGHLY ACTIVE PEPSIN FROM PEPSINOGEN

1. Solubility curves of crude pepsin preparations indicate the presence of more than one protein. 2. One of these proteins has been isolated and crystallized and found to have constant activity and constant solubility in several solvents. 3. The solubility measurements are complicated by the unstable nature of the protein and the fact that in certain solvents the solubility of the protein is markedly affected by the presence of non-protein nitrogen decomposition products while in others this is not the case. 4. A more insoluble protein has been prepared of lower solubility and lower activity, as measured by hemoglobin digestion. The activity, as measured by the digestion of other proteins, is about the same as the more soluble fraction. This insoluble fraction does not have constant solubility. 5. Mixtures of the insoluble and the soluble fractions give preparations having rounded solubility curves typical of solid solutions and resembling very closely those of the original preparation. 6. A small amount of pepsinogen and pepsin from pepsinogen has been separated which has nearly twice the enzymatic activity on hemoglobin as does the most active pepsin previously isolated.