The disulphide bridges of bovine chymotrypsinogen B

The five cystine peptides of chymotrypsinogen B have been isolated as pairs of cysteic acid peptides by the diagonal electrophoretic technique of Brown & Hartley (1963, 1966). The sequences of these peptides have been shown to be very similar to those of chymotrypsinogen A, and indicate that both zymogens have the same pattern of disulphide bridges. The determination of the sequence of residues 14–21 in chymotrypsinogen B has shown that residue 18 differs in the chymotrypsinogens from the corresponding residue in trypsinogen. Eight differences between chymotrypsinogens A and B are found in sequences accounting for 72 of the 245 residues.     

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.     

Regulated, but not constitutive, secretory proteins bind porcine chymotrypsinogen.

Endocrine and exocrine cells exhibit both a constitutive and a regulated secretory pathway. In the latter pathway, secretory proteins are stored at a high concentration in secretory granules and are released by exocytosis in response to appropriate external stimuli. Sorting between the two secretory pathways is believed to take place in the trans-Golgi tubular network. To account for experimental data, it has been proposed that sorting receptors exist which bind a variety of regulated secretory proteins, including foreign secretory proteins introduced into the cells by transfection. In support of the sorting receptor hypothesis Chung et al. (Chung, K.-N., Walter, P., Aponte, G. W., and Moore, H.-P.H. (1989) Science 243, 192-197) isolated a group of 25-kDa canine pancreatic "hormone-binding proteins" that bound regulated but not constitutive secretory proteins. To determine if similar proteins are present in other species and tissues, we have screened porcine pancreas, parathyroid, adrenal medulla, and pituitary glands. A 31-kDa protein, similar to that identified by Chung et al. (1989), which binds to regulated but not to constitutive secretory proteins was identified in porcine pancreas. This protein was not detected in the parathyroid, adrenal medulla, or pituitary glands, however, which argues against it serving as a general sorting receptor. NH2-terminal sequencing, immunoreactivity, and proteolytic activity data indicate that the porcine 31-kDa protein is similar if not identical to porcine chymotrypsinogen A or B.     

The self-association of chymotrypsinogen

The self-association of chymotrypsinogen A is reduced by decreasing the pH below pH 8 or by an increase in electrolyte level. The latter effect is correlated with ionic strength for several electrolytes with different properties. The self-association in H₂O is almost independent of temperature. Substitution of D₂O for H₂O increases the extent of association. Conversion of the two reactive tyrosines to nitrotyrosine extends the zone of stability of the complex species to more acid pH. From these results it is concluded that the dominant stabilizing force is electrostatic in origin, but that hydrophobic forces also make a significant contribution.