THE INACTIVATION OF TRYPSIN : III. SPONTANEOUS INACTIVATION.

1. The rate of inactivation of purified trypsin solutions approximates closely that demanded by the monomolecular formula. The more carefully the solution is purified the closer the agreement with the formula. 2. The products formed by the action of trypsin on proteins renders the trypsin more stable. Gelatin and glycine have no effect. 3. The rate of inactivation of trypsin solutions containing these products does not follow the course of a monomolecular reaction but becomes progressively slower than the predicted rate. 4. The protective action of these substances is much greater if they are added all at once at the beginning of the experiment than if they are added at intervals. These observations may be quantitatively accounted for by the hypothesis that a compound is formed between trypsin and the inhibiting substance which is stable as well as inactive, and that the rate of decomposition depends on the amount of uncombined trypsin present. 5. Trypsin is most stable at a pH of 5 and is rapidly destroyed in strongly acid or alkaline solution. 6. The protective effect of the inhibiting substances is small on the acid side of pH 5, increases from pH 5 to 7, and then remains approximately constant.     

CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN : V. KINETICS OF THE DIGESTION OF PROTEINS WITH CRUDE AND CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN

The rate of digestion, as determined by the increase in non-protein nitrogen or formol titration, of casein, gelatin, and hemoglobin with crystalline trypsin preparations increases nearly in proportion to the concentration of protein, but with crude pancreatic extract the rate of digestion becomes independent of the protein concentration in concentrations of more than 2.5 per cent. With both enzymes the rate of digestion of mixtures of 5 per cent casein and gelatin is greater than would be expected from the point of view of a compound between enzyme and substrate. The rate of digestion of 5 per cent casein in the presence of 5 per cent gelatin is exactly the same as that of 5 per cent casein alone. This result is obtained with both enzymes. The digestion of casein with crude trypsin follows the course of a monomolecular reaction quite closely while with purified trypsin the velocity constant decreases as the reaction proceeds. In the case of hemoglobin the monomolecular velocity constant decreases with both purified and crude enzyme. When the reaction is followed by changes in the viscosity of the solution the abnormal effect of changing substrate concentration disappears and the reaction is in fair agreement with the monomolecular equation. The results as a whole indicate that the abnormalities of the reaction are due to the occurrence of several consecutive reactions rather than to the formation of a substrate enzyme compound.     

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.     

THE ESTIMATION OF ACTIVE NATIVE TRYPSIN IN THE PRESENCE OF INACTIVE DENATURED TRYPSIN

Inactive denatured trypsin changes into active native trypsin in the protein solutions which have been used to estimate tryptic activity. If the digestion mixture, however, is alkaline enough and contains enough urea this change does not take place. Such a digestion mixture can be used to estimate active native trypsin in the presence of inactive denatured trypsin.     

THE R?LE OF THE ACTIVITY COEFFICIENT OF THE HYDROGEN ION IN THE HYDROLYSIS OF GELATIN

1. The hydrolysis of gelatin at a constant hydrogen ion concentration follows the course of a monomolecular reaction for about one-third of the reaction. 2. If the hydrogen ion concentration is not kept constant the amount of hydrolysis in certain ranges of acidity is proportional to the square root of the time (Schütz''s rule). 3. The velocity of hydrolysis in strongly acid solution (pH less than 2.0) is directly proportional to the hydrogen ion concentration as determined by the hydrogen electrode i.e., the "activity;" it is not proportional to the hydrogen ion concentration as determined by the conductivity ratio. 4. The addition of neutral salts increases the velocity of hydrolysis and the hydrogen ion concentration (as determined by the hydrogen electrode) to approximately the same extent. 5. The velocity in strongly alkaline solutions (pH greater than 10) is directly proportional to the hydroxyl ion concentration. 6. Between pH 2.0 and pH 10.0 the rate of hydrolysis is approximately constant and very much greater than would be calculated from the hydrogen and hydroxyl ion concentration. This may be roughly accounted for by the assumption that the uncombined gelatin hydrolyzes much more rapidly than the gelatin salt.     

CRYSTALLINE TRYPSIN : IV. REVERSIBILITY OF THE INACTIVATION AND DENATURATION OF TRYPSIN BY HEAT

1. If dilute solutions of purified trypsin of low salt concentration at pH from 1 to 7 are heated to 100°C. for 1 to 5 minutes and then cooled to 20°C. there is no loss of activity or formation of denatured protein. If the hot trypsin solution is added directly to cold salt solution, on the other hand, all the protein precipitates and the supernatant solution is inactive. 2. The per cent of the total protein and activity present in the soluble form decreases from 100 per cent to zero as the temperature is raised from 20°C. to 60°C. and increases again from zero to 100 per cent as the solution is cooled from 60°C. to 20°C. The per cent of the total protein present in the soluble (native) form at any one temperature is nearly the same whether the temperature is reached from above or below. 3. If trypsin solutions at pH 7 are heated for increasing lengths of time at various temperatures and analyzed for total activity and total protein nitrogen after cooling, and for soluble activity and soluble (native) protein nitrogen, it is found that the soluble activity and soluble protein nitrogen decrease more and more rapidly as the temperature is raised, in agreement with the usual effects of temperature on the denaturation of protein. The total protein and total activity, on the other hand, decrease more and more rapidly up to about 70°C. but as the temperature is raised above this there is less rapid change in the total protein or total activity and at 92°C. the solutions are much more stable than at 42°C. 4. Casein and peptone are not digested by trypsin at 100°C. but when this digestion mixture is cooled to 35°C. rapid digestion occurs. A solution of trypsin at 100°C. added to peptone solution at zero degree digests the peptone much less rapidly than it does if the trypsin solution is allowed to cool slowly before adding it to the peptone solution. 5. The precipitate of insoluble protein obtained from adding hot trypsin solutions to cold salt solutions contains the S-S groups in free form as is usual for denatured protein. 6. The results show that there is an equilibrium between native and denatured trypsin protein the extent of which is determined by the temperature. Above 60°C. the protein is in the denatured and inactive form and below 20°C. it is in the native and active form. The equilibrium is attained rapidly. The results also show that the formation of denatured protein is proportional to the loss in activity and that the re-formation of native protein is proportional to the recovery of activity of the enzyme. This is strong evidence for the conclusion that the proteolytic activity of the preparation is a property of the native protein molecule.     

Chicken Intestinal Alkaline Phosphatase : I. The kinetics and thermodynamics of reversible inactivation II. Reactivation by zinc ions

Purified chicken intestinal alkaline phosphatase is active at pH 8 to 9, but becomes rapidly inactivated with change of pH to 6 or less. Also, a solution of the inactivated enzyme at pH 4.5 rapidly regains its activity at pH 8. In the range of pH 6 to 8 a solution of purified alkaline phosphatase consists of a mixture of active and inactive enzyme in equilibrium with each other. The rate of inactivation at lower pH and of reactivation at higher pH increases with increase in temperature. Also, the activity at equilibrium in the range of pH 6 to 8 increases with temperature so that a solution equilibrated at higher temperature loses part of its activity on cooling, and vice versa, a rise in temperature shifts the equilibrium toward higher activity. The kinetics of inactivation of the enzyme at lower pH and the reactivation at higher pH is that of a unimolecular reaction. The thermodynamic values for the heat and entropy of the reversible inactivation and reactivation of the enzyme are considerably lower than those observed for the reversible denaturation of proteins. The inactivated enzyme at pH 4 to 6 is rapidly reactivated on addition of Zn ions even at pH 4 to 6. However, zinc ions are unable to replace magnesium ions as cocatalysts for the enzymatic hydrolysis of organic phosphates by alkaline phosphatase.     

Comparison of the inactivation of IgM and IgG complement fixation sites by acid and base.

Rabbit IgM antibodies to denatured mammalian or T6 bacteriophage DNA or poly(A)-poly(U) irreversibly lost complement-(C) fixation reactivity on exposure to low pH and reneutralization, with a halving of the complement-fixation titer occurring after treatment at about pH 3. The titers of IgG antibodies to denatured phage DNA, to poly(A)-poly(U), or to hemocyanin were halved only after exposure to pH 2. Inactivation by acid was enhanced by low protein concentrations, incubation at higher temperatures, and by slow reneutralization; under all these conditions it was more extensive with IgM than with IgG. Inactivation of IgM C-fixation activity at pH 2.5 and room temperature was a first order reaction, with a half-time of about 20 min. Both classes retained antigen-binding activity after exposure to pH 2. In the alkaline range, full C-fixation reactivity was retained by both classes after reneutralization from pH 11.5, some loss occurred at pH 12, and total irreversible inactivation occurred by pH 12.5. In the latter case, antigen-binding activity was also lost. The C-fixation inactivation curves in the alkaline range were similar for IgG and IgM antibodies.     

Reconstitution of rabbit muscle aldolase after dissociation and denaturation at alkaline pH.

Tetrameric rabbit muscle aldolase is dissociated to the inactive monomer at strongly alkaline pH (pH greater than or equal to 12). As shown by sedimentation velocity, fluorescence emission, and specific activity, the final profiles of dissociation, denaturation, and deactivation run parallel. Increasing incubation time proves the enzyme to be metastable in the pH range of deactivation. At 10 less than pH less than 12 "hysteresis" of the deactivation-reactivation reaction is observed. Short incubation at pH greater than or equal to 12 leads to high yields of reactivation (greater than or equal to 60%), while irreversibly denatured enzyme protein is the final product after long incubation. The kinetics of reconstitution under essentially irreversible conditions (pH 7.6) can be described by a sequential uni-bimolecular mechanism, assuming partial activity of the isolated subunits. The kinetic constants correspond to those observed for the reactivation after denaturation at acid pH or in 6M guanidine. HCl. Obviously the pH-dependent deactivation and reactivation of aldolase at alkaline pH obeys the general transconformation/association model which has been previously reported to hold for the reconstitution of numerous oligomeric enzymes after denaturation in various denaturants.     

Inhibition kinetics of green crab (Scylla serrata) alkaline phosphatase by zinc ions: a new type of complexing inhibition

The Tsou method was used to study the kinetic course of inactivation of green crab alkaline phosphatase by zinc ions. The results show that the enzyme was inactivated by a complexing scheme which has not been previously identified. The enzyme first reversibly and quickly binds Zn(2+) and then undergoes a slow reversible course to inactivation and slow conformational change. The inactivation reaction is a single molecule reaction and the apparent inactivation rate constant is for a saturated reaction being independent of Zn(2+) concentration if the concentration is sufficiently high. The microscopic rate constants of inactivation and the association constant were determined from the measurements.     

Inactivation and reactivation of B. megatherium phage

Preparation of Reversibly Inactivated (R.I.) Phage.- If B. megatherium phage (of any type, or in any stage of purification) is suspended in dilute salt solutions at pH 5-6, it is completely inactivated; i.e., it does not form plaques, or give rise to more phage when mixed with a sensitive organism (Northrop, 1954). The inactivation occurs when the phage is added to the dilute salt solution. If a suspension of the inactive phage in pH 7 peptone is titrated to pH 5 and allowed to stand, the activity gradually returns. The inactivation is therefore reversible. Properties of R.I. Phage.- The R.I. phage is adsorbed by sensitive cells at about the same rate as the active phage. It kills the cells, but no active phage is produced. The R.I. phage therefore has the properties of phage "ghosts" (Herriott, 1951) or of colicines (Gratia, 1925), or phage inactivated by ultraviolet light (Luria, 1947). The R.I. phage is sedimented in the centrifuge at the same rate as active phage. It is therefore about the same size as the active phage. The R.I. phage is most stable in pH 7, 5 per cent peptone, and may be kept in this solution for weeks at 0 degrees C. The rate of digestion of R.I. phage by trypsin, chymotrypsin, or desoxyribonuclease is about the same as that of active phage (Northrop, 1955 a). Effect of Various Substances on the Formation of R.I. Phage.- There is an equilibrium between R.I. phage and active phage. The R.I. form is the stable one in dilute salt solution, pH 5 to 6.5 and at low temperature (<20 degrees C.). At pH >6.5, in dilute salt solution, the R.I. phage changes to the active form. The cycle, active right harpoon over left harpoon inactive phage, may be repeated many times at 0 degrees C. by changing the pH of the solution back and forth between pH 7 and pH 6. Irreversible inactivation is caused by distilled water, some heavy metals, concentrated urea or quanidine solutions, and by l-arginine. Reversible inactivation is prevented by all salts tested (except those causing irreversible inactivation, above). The concentration required to prevent R.I. is lower, the higher the valency of either the anion or cation. There are great differences, however, between salts of the same valency, so that the chemical nature as well as the valency is important. Peptone, urea, and the amino acids, tryptophan, leucine, isoleucine, methionine, asparagine, dl-cystine, valine, and phenylalanine, stabilize the system at pH 7, so that no change occurs if a mixture of R.I. and active phage is added to such solutions. The active phage remains active and the R.I. phage remains inactive. The R.I. phage in pH 7 peptone becomes active if the pH is changed to 5.0. This does not occur in solutions of urea or the amino acids which stabilize at pH 7.0. Kinetics of Reversible Inactivation.- The inactivation is too rapid, even at 0 degrees to allow the determination of an accurate time-inactivation curve. The rate is independent of the phage concentration and is complete in a few seconds, even in very dilute suspensions containing <1 x 10(4) particles/ml. This result rules out any type of bimolecular reaction, or any precipitation or agglutination mechanism, since the minimum theoretical time for precipitation (or agglutination) of a suspension of particles in a concentration of only 1 x 10(4) per ml. would be about 300 days even though every collision were effective. Mechanism of Salt Reactivation.- Addition of varying concentrations of MgSO(4) (or many other salts) to a suspension of either active or R.I. phage in 0.01 M, pH 6 acetate buffer results in the establishment of an equilibrium ratio for active/R.I. phage. The higher the concentration of salt, the larger proportion of the phage is active. The results, with MgSO(4), are in quantitative agreement with the following reaction: See PDF for Equation Effect of Temperature.- The rate of inactivation is too rapid to be measured with any accuracy, even at 0 degrees C. The rate of reactivation in pH 5 peptone, at 0 and 10 degrees , was measured and found to have a temperature coefficient Q(10) = 1.5 corresponding to a value of E (Arrhenius' constant) of 6500 cal. mole(-1). This agrees very well with the temperature coefficient for the reactivation of denatured soy bean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz, 1948). The equilibrium between R.I. and active phage is shifted toward the active side by lowering the temperature. The ratio R.I.P./AP is 4.7 at 15 degrees and 2.8 at 2 degrees . This corresponds to a change in free energy of -600 cal. mole(-1) and a heat of reaction of 11,000. These values are much lower than the comparative one for trypsin (Anson and Mirsky, 1934 a) or soy bean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz, 1948). Neither the inactivation nor the reactivation reactions are affected by light. The results in general indicate that there is an equilibrium between active and R.I. phage. The R.I. phage is probably an intermediate step in the formation of inactive phage. The equilibrium is shifted to the active side by lowering the temperature, adjusting the pH to 7-8 (except in the presence of high concentrations of peptone), raising the salt concentration, or increasing the valency of the ions present. The reaction may be represented by the following: See PDF for Equation The assumption that the active/R.I. phage equilibrium represents an example of native/denatured protein equilibrium predicts all the results qualitatively. Quantitatively, however, it fails to predict the relative rate of digestion of the two forms by trypsin or chymotrypsin, and also the effect of temperature on the equilibrium.     

KINETICS OF THROMBIN INACTIVATION AS INFLUENCED BY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS,TRYPSIN, AND SERUM

1. A new technique for studying the progressive inactivation of thrombin is described. 2. Thrombin inactivation follows the kinetics of a first order reaction. 3. The rate constant of the inactivation reaction increases with temperature and pH (5.0 → 10.0), and also with the presence of crystalline trypsin, or serum. The rate varies for different thrombin preparations, even under the same experimental conditions. 4. The temperature characteristics of the reaction indicate that thrombin is associated with protein. 5. Thrombin preparations are most stable at pH 4 to 5, even when trypsin or serum is added. 6. The progressive inactivation is believed to be due to two mechanisms: (1) a major effect, thought to be the action of a "serum-tryptase," which is usually present in the thrombin preparations, and (2) a minor effect, probably attributable to denaturation of thrombin-protein. 7. Sources of the thrombinolytic factor (serum-tryptase) and its implications in the general theory and practical problems of blood coagulation and antithrombic action are briefly discussed.     

Photodynamic Action on Native and Denatured Transforming Deoxyribonucleic Acid from Haemophilus influenzae

The photodynamic inactivation of native or denatured transforming deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from Haemophilus influenzae is described. The inactivation at the same pH was higher for denatured than native DNA. At acidic pH, the inactivation both for native and denatured DNA was faster than at alkaline pH. The guanine content of photoinactivated native DNA at neutral pH was less than untreated DNA. The inactivation of biological activity was more extensive than the alteration of guanine. The absorption spectrum of photoinactivated native or denatured DNA was only slightly different than the control DNA at the different experimental conditions.     

FORMATION OF TRYPSIN FROM CRYSTALLINE TRYPSINOGEN BY MEANS OF ENTEROKINASE

Crystalline trypsinogen is most readily and completely transformed into trypsin by means of enterokinase in the range of pH 5.2–6.0 at 5°C. and at a concentration of trypsinogen of not more than 0.1 mg. per ml. The action of enterokinase under these conditions is that of a typical enzyme. The process follows closely the course of a catalytic unimolecular reaction, the rate of formation of trypsin being proportional to the concentration of enterokinase added and the ultimate amount of trypsin formed being independent of the concentration of enterokinase. The catalytic action of enterokinase on crystalline trypsinogen in dilute solution at pH more alkaline than 6.0 and in concentrated solution at pH even slightly below 6.0 is complicated by the partial transformation of the trypsinogen into inert protein which can no longer be changed into trypsin even by a large excess of enterokinase. This secondary reaction is catalyzed by the trypsin formed and the rate of the reaction is proportional to the concentration of trypsin as well as to the concentration of trypsinogen in solution. Hence under these conditions only a small part of the trypsinogen is changed by enterokinase into trypsin while a considerable part of the trypsinogen is transformed into inert protein, the more so the lower the concentration of enterokinase used. The kinetics of the formation of trypsin by means of enterokinase when accompanied by the formation of inert protein can be explained quantitatively on the theoretical assumption that both reactions are of the simple catalytic unimolecular type, the catalyst being enterokinase in the first reaction and trypsin in the second reaction.     

Wheat-germ aspartate transcarbamoylase. The effect of ligands on the inactivation of the enzyme by trypsin and denaturing agents

In the absence of added ligands aspartate transcarbamoylase (EC 2.1.3.2) from wheat germ is inactivated fairly rapidly by trypsin, by heat (60 degrees C), by highly alkaline conditions (pH11.3) and by sodium dodecyl sulphate. Addition of UMP alone, at low concentrations, decreases the rate of inactivation by each of these agents significantly. Carbamoyl phosphate alone does not alter the rate of inactivation by trypsin and by the detergent, but it antagonizes the effect of UMP in protecting the enzyme against these agents. These results have been interpreted to mean that two conformational states are reversibly accessible to the enzyme, namely an easily inactivated state favoured in the presence of carbamoyl phosphate and a more resistant state favoured in the presence of UMP. In the absence of ligands the enzyme is in the easily inactivated conformation. At very high concentrations l-aspartate also protects the enzyme but to a smaller extent than UMP. Some implications of these results are discussed.     

Mechanism of inactivation of trypsin by antithrombin

General aspects of the mechanism of antithrombin action were elucidated by a comparison of the inactivation of trypsin by antithrombin with the inactivation of coagulation proteinases by the inhibitor. Bovine antithrombin and bovine trypsin were shown to form an inactive equimolar complex. A non-complexed, proteolytically modified form of antithrombin, electrophoretically identical with that formed in the reaction with coagulation proteinases, was also produced in the reaction with trypsin. In the absence of heparin, the inactivation of trypsin by antithrombin was 20 times faster than the inactivation of thrombin; the second-order rate constant was 1.5 x 10(5)m(-1).s(-1) at 25 degrees C and pH 7.4. However, the inhibition of thrombin was accelerated about 30 times more efficiently by small amounts of heparin than was trypsin inhibition. Dissociation of the antithrombin-trypsin complex at pH 7.4 followed first-order kinetics with a half-life for the complex of about 80h at 25 degrees C. The complex was rapidly and quantitatively dissociated at pH 11, resulting in the liberation of a modified two-chain form of the inhibitor, cleaved at the same Arg-Ser bond as in modified antithrombin released from complexes with thrombin, Factor Xa and Factor IXa. This supports the previous proposal that this bond is the active-site bond of antithrombin. Antisera specific for thrombin-modified antithrombin reacted with purified antithrombin-trypsin complex, indicating that the inhibitor was present in the complex in a form immunologically identical with thrombin-modified antithrombin. The results thus suggest a common mechanism, but different kinetics, for the inhibition of trypsin and coagulation proteinases by antithrombin.     

Principles of selective inactivation of a viral genome. Comparative kinetic study of modification of the viral RNA and model protein with oligoaziridines

Comparative kinetic analysis of inactivation of bacteriophage MS2 infectivity and aminoalkylation of a model protein (trypsin inhibitor) with oligoaziridines was performed in order to evaluate the selectivity of viral RNA modification with oligocationic reagents. The transition from ethyleneimine monomer to di-, tri-, and tetramer leads to a sharp increase in the rate constant of infectivity inactivation, whereas the rate constant of protein modification changes insignificantly. The selectivity coefficient of the phage RNA aminoalkylation relative to trypsin inhibitor modification increases in this series by more than an order of magnitude. This effect is probably associated with the strengthening of the reagent binding to the nucleic acid, which implies a reaction mechanism that involves the formation of a reactive intermediate. The latter might be an electrostatic complex of the oligocationic reagent and RNA, the only polyanion in the virion. A pronounced decrease in the rate constant of infectivity inactivation in the presence of multiply charged anions (in phosphate buffer) and a biogenic polyamine (spermine) favors this hypothesis. Increasing the reaction temperature increases the rate constant of infectivity inactivation and decreases selectivity of the viral RNA modification.     

The histidine residues of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus.

The inactivation of phospholipase C from Bacillus cereus at pH6 by diethyl pyrocarbonate parallelled the N-ethoxyformylation of a single histidine residue in the enzyme. The inactivation arose from a decrease in the maximum velocity of the enzymic reaction with no effect on the Km value. The inactivation did not apparently alter the ability of the enzyme to bind to a substrate-based affinity gel. The native enzyme contained only one reactive histidine residue. Removal of the two zinc atoms from the enzyme increased the number of reactive histidine residues to five, whereas in the totally denatured enzyme nearly eight such residues were available for reaction with diethyl pyrocarbonate. The enzyme thus appears to contain one histidine residue that is essential for catalytic activity and four that may be involved in co-ordinating the zinc atoms in the structure.     

Conformational stability of human erythrocyte transglutaminase. Patterns of thermal unfolding at acid and alkaline pH.

Tissue-type transglutaminase is irreversibly inactivated during heat treatment. The rate of inactivation is low at pH 7.5; it increases slightly at acid pH (6.1) but much more at alkaline pH (9.0-9.5), suggesting that specific effects take place in the alkaline range, possibly in relation to decreased stability of the transition-state intermediate as pH is raised above 9.0. Differential scanning calorimetry experiments indicate that thermal unfolding of the protein occurs with two separate transitions, involving independent regions of the enzyme. They are assigned to domains 1 and 2 and domains 3 and 4, respectively, by a combination of calorimetric and spectroscopic techniques. When considering the effects of pH, we noted that transglutaminase was unfolded via different pathways at the different pH values considered. At acid pH, the whole structure of the protein was lost irreversibly, with massive aggregation. At neutral and, even more so, at alkaline pH, aggregation was absent (or very limited at high protein concentration) and the loss of secondary structure was dependent on the ionization state of crucial lysine residues. Unfolding at pH 9.5 apparently chiefly involved the N-terminal region, as testified by changes in protein intrinsic fluorescence. In addition, the C-terminal region was destabilized at each pH value tested during thermal unfolding, as shown by digestion with V8 proteinase, which is inactive on the native protein. Evidence was obtained that the N-terminal and C-terminal regions interact with each other in determining the structure of the native protein.     

Experimental modelling of thermal inactivation of urease

Thermal inactivation of jack bean urease (EC 3.5.1.5) was investigated in a 0.1 M phosphate buffer with pH 7. An injection flow calorimetry method was adapted for the measurement of the enzyme activity. The inactivation curves were measured in the temperature range of 55 to 87.5 degrees C. The curves exhibited a biphasic pattern in the whole temperature range and they were well fitted with a biexponential model. A simultaneous fit of all inactivation data was based on kinetic models that were derived from different inactivation mechanisms and comprised the material balances of several enzyme forms and the enthalpy balance characterizing the initial heating period of enzyme solution. The multitemperature evaluation revealed that an adequate model had to incorporate at least three reaction steps. It was concluded that the key reaction steps at urease thermal inactivation were the reversible dissociation/denaturation of native form into an inactive denatured form, and irreversible association reactions of both the denatured and native forms.