Human serum alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is an inhibitor of pancreatic elastases

Incubation of human serum alpha 1-antichymotrypsin with human pancreatic elastase 2 or porcine pancreatic elastase results in the complete inhibition of each enzyme as determined by spectrophotometric assays. alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin reacts much more rapidly with the human than with the porcine enzyme. The inhibitor: enzyme molar ratio, required to obtain full inhibition of enzymatic activity, is equal to 1.25/1 when alpha 1-antichymotrypsin reacts with human pancreatic elastase 2 while it is markedly higher with porcine pancreatic elastase (5.5/1). Patterns obtained by SDS/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the reaction products show the formation with both enzymes of an equimolar complex (Mr near 77 000) and the release of a fragment migrating as a peptide of Mr near 5000. Moreover a free proteolytically modified form of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, electrophoretically identical with that obtained in the reaction with cathepsin G or bovine chymotrypsin, is produced in the reaction with each elastase but in a much greater amount when alpha 1-antichymotrypsin reacts with porcine elastase than with human elastase. As a consequence of our findings, the specificity of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, so far limited to the inhibition of chymotrypsin-like enzymes from pancreas and leukocyte origin, has to be extended to the two pancreatic elastases investigated in this work. A contribution of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin to the regulatory balance between plasma inhibitors and human pancreatic elastase 2 in pancreatic diseases is suggested.     

Stoichiometry of the interaction of human plasma alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor with subtilisin BPN'

Interaction of human plasma alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor (alpha 1PI) with subtilisin BPN' was assessed by spectrophotometric determination of the inhibitory capacity and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). During the course of incubation of the enzyme and the inhibitor (E : I = 1 : 7.5) at pH 8.0 about 17% of the enzyme activity which had been inhibited initially was regenerated, indicating a temporary type of inhibition. The results of the titration experiments indicate that 9.8 mol of the inhibitor is required to inhibit 1 mol of the enzyme completely. However, patterns of 5% disc SDS-PAGE under non-reducing conditions revealed only an equimolar complex (Mr80K) of alpha 1PI with the enzyme and no other higher Mr component than the native inhibitor (Mr 56K). On the other hand, complete dissociation of the complex occurred under reducing conditions, producing an enzymatically modified inhibitor. When 5 21% gradient slab SDS-PAGE was employed, no complex formation was observed under either reducing or non-reducing conditions. With the gradient gel system, dissociation of the equimolar complex produced different forms of the inhibitor, that is, regeneration of an intact alpha 1PI under non-reducing conditions and an enzymatically modified form under reducing conditions. All these results indicate that the complex formed between subtilisin BPN' and human alpha 1PI is not so stable as that of the inhibitor with bovine chymotrypsin and that no covalent bond may be involved in the complex formation. The results also indicate that human alpha 1PI is not an effective inhibitor of subtilisin BPN' and behaves like a substrate for the enzyme.     

Enzymatic activity of prostate-specific antigen and its reactions with extracellular serine proteinase inhibitors.

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is one of the three most abundant prostatic-secreted proteins in human semen. It is a serine proteinase that, in its primary structure, manifests extensive similarities with that of the Arg-restricted glandular kallikrein-like proteinases. When isolated from semen by the addition of chromatography on aprotinin-Sepharose to a previously described procedure, PSA displayed chymotrypsin-like activity and cleaved semenogelin and the semenogelin-related proteins in a rapid and characteristic pattern, but had no trypsin-like activity. About one third of the purified protein was found to be enzymatically inactive, due to cleavage carboxy-terminal of Lys145. Active PSA formed SDS-stable complexes with alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, alpha 2-macroglobulin-analogue pregnancy zone protein. PSA formed inhibitory complexes with alpha 1-antichymotrypsin at a molar ratio of 1:1, a reaction in which PSA cleaved the inhibitor in a position identical to that reported from the reaction between chymotrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. The formation of stable complexes between PSA and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin occurred at a much slower rate than that between chymotrypsin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and at a similar or slightly slower rate than that between PSA and alpha 2-macroglobulin. When added to normal blood plasma in vitro, active PSA formed stable complexes both with alpha 2-macroglobulin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. This complex formation may be a crucial determinant of the turnover of active PSA in intercellular fluid or blood plasma in vivo.     

Interactions of alpha1-antitrypsin with trypsin and chymotrypsin.

The interaction of alpha1-antitrypsin with trypsin and chymotrypsin has been investigated by protease activity assays, by electrophoretic analysis, by CD and absorption difference spectra, and by gel filtration of reaction mixtures containing excess inhibitor or excess protease. When alpha1-antitrypsin is present in excess, only one stable inhibitor - protease complex is formed. In the presence of excess protease, however, this primary complex is degraded relatively rapidly to one or more secondary complexes. These latter conversions are more pronounced in the case of the antititrypsin-chymotrypsin system. The greater lability of the antitrypsin-chymotrypsin system is evidenced by the relatively rapid release of inactive chymotrypsin from the secondary antitrypsin - chymotrypsin complex. Only minimal amounts of active protease were released from the complexes on the addition of excess protease and one protease could not displace the other from the complex, although competition experiments showed that chymotrypsin reacted more rapidly with the inhibitor than trypsin.     

In vivo catabolism of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is mediated by the Serpin receptor which binds alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor, antithrombin III and heparin cofactor II

The in vivo catabolism of 125I-labeled alpha 1-antichymotrypsin was studied in our previously described mouse model. Native alpha 1-antichymotrypsin cleared with an apparent t1/2 of 85 min, but alpha 1-antichymotrypsin in complex with chymotrypsin or cathepsin G cleared with a t1/2 of 12 min. Clearance of the complex was blocked by a large molar excess of unlabeled complexes of proteinases with either alpha 1-antichymotrypsin or alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. These studies indicate that the clearance of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin-proteinase complexes utilizes the same pathway as complexes with the homologous inhibitor alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor. Previous studies have demonstrated that this pathway is also responsible for the catabolism of two other serine proteinase inhibitors, antithrombin III and heparin cofactor II. This pathway is thus responsible for removing several proteinases involved in coagulation and inflammation from the circulation, thereby decreasing the likelihood of adventitious proteolysis.     

The active site of antithrombin. Release of the same proteolytically cleaved form of the inhibitor from complexes with factor IXa, factor Xa, and thrombin

Reactions between near equimolar amounts of antithrombin and Factors IXa or Xa resulted in the formation of a free proteolytically modified, two-chain form of the inhibitor, in addition to the inactive antithrombin-protease complexes. The modified inhibitor produced by either enzyme was electrophoretically identical with that formed in the reaction with thrombin. As in the latter reaction, the formation of the modified antithrombin by Factor Xa was increased in the presence of heparin, while only small amounts were produced by Factor IXa both in the absence and presence of the polysaccharide. NH2-terminal sequence analyses of the isolated modified inhibitor formed by Factor Xa showed that a single Arg-Ser bond in the COOH-terminal end of the inhibitor had been cleaved. This cleavage site is identical with that identified in free thrombin-modified antithrombin. The purified antithrombin-Factor IXa and antithrombin-Factor Xa complexes were dissociated by ammonia or hydroxylamine into free enzyme and a modified two-chain form of the inhibitor. Electrophoresis studies and NH2-terminal sequence analyses showed that the modified antithrombin obtained from either complex was identical with that produced in free form by the two enzymes and also with the modified inhibitor that is released from the antithrombin-thrombin complex. The fact that identical results were obtained for the reactions between antithrombin and three enzymes with different specificities strongly suggests that the observed Arg-Ser cleavage site is the active site of antithrombin.     

Routes of thrombin action in the production of proteolytically modified, secondary forms of antithrombin-thrombin complex

The reaction between thrombin and antithrombin results in the formation of an inactive, stable, equimolar complex between the two proteins. However, under most reaction conditions several secondary complex forms, which have lower apparent molecular weights in dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, appear concomitantly with or immediately following the production of the primary form of the complex. Purification of nascent, intact complex and treatment of this complex form with thrombin demonstrated that these subsidiary forms of antithrombin-thrombin complex may arise by proteolysis of the nascent complex by excess thrombin. Dissociation of such proteolytically modified complex preparations by hydroxylamine, and examination of the dissociation products by dodecyl sulfate/polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggested that degradation occurs primarily in the thrombin part of the complex, and only after prolonged proteolysis in its antithrombin moiety also. Incubation of antithrombin with several autolytically modified thrombin preparations showed that formation of subsidiary complex forms can also occur by an alternative route, i.e. between premodified thrombin forms and the inhibitor. In contrast, complex formation between thrombin and active forms of antithrombin, which have been modified by thrombin before complex formation, is unlikely, since no such active forms of antithrombin could be demonstrated.     

Analysis of the effects of snake venom proteinases on the activity of human plasma C1 esterase inhibitor, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and alpha 2-antiplasmin

Incubation of C1 esterase inhibitor with Crotalid, Viperid and Colubrid snake venoms resulted in enzymatic inactivation of the inhibitor. Intact inhibitor (104 kDa) was converted into an active intermediate species of 89 kDa and then a further cleavage resulted in formation of an 86-kDa inactive inhibitor. In contrast, C1 esterase inhibitor did not lose activity during incubation with Elapid venoms; however, the intact inhibitor was gradually converted to an active species of 89 kDa during the incubation. Human alpha 1-antichymotrypsin was inactivated by all venoms tested, including those from the Elapid family. The 67-kDa intact inhibitor was converted by the venom proteinases to an inactive 63-kDa form. The results suggest that this acute-phase plasma protein is readily susceptible to inactivation by venom proteinases. Human alpha 2-antiplasmin (68 kDa) was cleaved to form a 61-kDa active intermediate, which then underwent a second cleavage to produce an inactive 53-kDa product. Elapid venoms had no effect on alpha 2-antiplasmin activity and did not cleave this inhibitor. All inhibitors were inactivated with catalytic amounts of venom proteinases. No stable proteinase-proteinase inhibitor complexes were detected, and no random proteolysis of the inhibitors occurred.     

Expression of an active proteinase inhibitor, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, by human breast epithelial cells

The synthesis of an active proteinase inhibitor, gp 66, by human breast epithelial cells is reported. This glycoprotein is identical to serum alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, which inhibits proteinases that cleave at hydrophobic residues. Immunohistological studies show the in vivo expression on normal secretory and ductal epithelial cells and on primary and metastatic adenocarcinomas. Immunoaffinity-purified gp 66 from MCF-7 culture supernatants is an active inhibitor of chymotrypsin as determined in a fluorogenic enzyme assay and can form stable 88 kDa enzyme-inhibitor complexes. The synthesis of a functional inhibitor may represent the epithelial cell's attempt to stabilize its extracellular milieu.     

Interaction of chymotrypsinogens with alpha 1-protease inhibitor

In a previous report [Largman, C., Brodrick, J.W., Geokas, M.C., Sischo, W.M., & Johnson, J.H. (1979) J. Biol. Chem. 254, 8516-8523] it was demonstrated that human proelastase 2 and alpha 1-protease inhibitor react slowly to form a complex that is stable to denaturation with sodium dodecyl sulfate and beta-mercaptoethanol and that the zymogen can be recovered from the isolated complex following dissociation by hydroxylamine. The present report demonstrates that bovine chymotrypsinogen A reacts with human alpha 1-protease inhibitor in a very similar manner. The rate of complex formation was measured by two methods. In the first, the reaction was followed by determining the loss of the inhibitory activity of alpha 1-protease inhibitor as a function of time. A second-order rate constant for complex formation formation (pH 7.6, 36 degrees C) of 12.9 +/- 2.4 M-1s-1 was obtained. In the second procedure, the reaction of fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled chymotrypsinogen A with alpha 1-protease inhibitor was measured by fluorescence polarization. A second-order rate constant (pH 7.6, 37 degrees C) of 13.9 +/- 2.1 M-1s-1 was obtained. The rate of complex formation is approximately 10(-5) of that measured for the reaction of bovine chymotrypsin with alpha 1-protease inhibitor. Dissociation of the complex was not observed after dilution or the addition of excess bovine alpha-chymotrypsin. As judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis experiments, human chymotrypsinogens I and II react with alpha 1-protease inhibitor at rates that are approximatley equivalent to that determined for bovine chymotrypsinogen A. In contrast, bovine trypsinogen reacts very slowly with alpha 1-protease inhibitor, at a rate that is at most 10(-2) of that of bovine chymotrypsinogen A. These results suggest that zymogens react with alpha 1-protease inhibitor by virtue of partially formed active sites and that the potential active-site specificity of the zymogen in part determines the rate of complex formation.     

Interaction between human α2-macroglobulin and duodenase, a serine proteinase with dual specificity

Interaction between a serine proteinase from bovine duodenum and human serum alpha(2)-macroglobulin (alpha(2)-MG) was studied. alpha(2)-MG is established to be one of the most effective duodenase inhibitors. The enzyme is completely inhibited in less than 30 sec at equimolar ratio of the inhibitor and enzyme (concentration 2 x 10(-8) M). Under identical conditions, the rate of duodenase association with alpha(2)-MG is at least 2.5-fold higher than the rate of chymotrypsin association with this inhibitor. The interaction with duodenase results in proteolysis of the inhibitor subunit in the "bait region". Similarly to other proteases, duodenase in the complex with alpha(2)-MG retains the intact catalytic apparatus and ability to hydrolyze some small substrates. But the duodenase-inhibitor complex is fully inactive to proteins (bovine serum albumin). The stoichiometry of the enzyme interaction with the inhibitor is 2 : 1 (mol/mol). Based on the association rate constant and the termination time of the duodenase and alpha(2)-MG in vivo association, alpha(2)-MG is suggested to be a physiological regulator of the enzyme.     

Inactivation of human plasma alpha 1-antichymotrypsin by microbial proteinases

Incubation of human plasma alpha 1-antichymotrypsin with proteinases from various microbial sources resulted in the enzymatic inactivation of the inhibitor as determined by loss of inhibitory activity against alpha-chymotrypsin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the reaction products indicated that intact alpha 1-antichymotrypsin (Mr 67000) had been converted to an inactive form (63000) by limited proteolysis. No stable proteinase/inhibitor complexes were detected, and no random proteolysis of the inactivated inhibitor occurred even after prolonged incubation with the proteinases. Metallo- and serine proteinases from several microbial sources all readily inactivated alpha 1-antichymotrypsin. Since alpha 1-antichymotrypsin is also an early stage acute phase reactant, its inactivation may be important in disrupting bodily defense mechanisms.     

The reactive site of human alpha 2-antiplasmin

Human alpha 2-antiplasmin rapidly forms a stable, equimolar complex with either its target enzyme, plasmin, or with trypsin. Perturbation of the inhibitor-trypsin complex results in peptide bond cleavage at the reactive site of the inhibitor with the concomitant release of a small peptide fragment which apparently represents the carboxyl-terminal segment of the inhibitor. Sequence analysis of this fragment, together with that of an overlapping peptide obtained by treatment of native inhibitor with either Staphylococcus aureus V8 proteinase or human neutrophil elastase, yields data which indicate that the reactive site of alpha 2-antiplasmin encompasses a P1-P'1 Arg-Met sequence. However, unlike alpha 1-1-proteinase inhibitor which has a Met residue in the P1-position, oxidation of alpha 2-antiplasmin has no effect on its inhibitory activity toward either plasmin, trypsin, or chymotrypsin, indicating the lesser mechanistic importance of the P'1-residue during enzyme inactivation by this inhibitor.     

Replacement of lysine by arginine, phenylalanine and tryptophan in the reactive site of the bovine trypsin-kallikrein inhibitor (Kunitz) and change of the inhibitory properties.

The reactive-site sequence of a proteinase inhibitor can be written as . . . -P3-P2-P1-P'1-P'2-P'3- . . . , where-P1-P'1-denotes the reactive site. Three semisynthetic homologues have been synthesized of the bovine trypsin-kallikrein inhibitor (Kunitz) with either arginine, phenylalanine or tryptophan in place of the reactive-site residue P1, lysine-15. These homologues correspond to gene products after mutation of the lysine 15 DNA codon to an arginine, phenylalanine or tryptophan DNA codon. Starting from native (virgin) inhibitor, reactive-site hydrolyzed, still active (modified) inhibitor was prepared by chemical and enzymic reactions. Modified inhibitor was then converted into inactive des-Lys15-inhibitor by reaction with carboxypeptidase B. Inactive des-Lys15-inhibitor was reactivated by enzymic replacement of the P1 residue according to Leary and Laskowski, Jr. The introduction of arginine was catalyzed by an inverse reaction with carboxypeptidase B, while phenylalanine or tryptophan were replaced by carboxypeptidase A. The reactivated semisynthetic inhibitors were trapped by complex formation with either trypsin or chymotrypsin. The enzyme - inhibitor complexes were subjected to kinetic-control dissociation, and the semisynthetic virgin inhibitors were isolated. The inhibitory properties of the semisynthetic inhibitors have been investigated against bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin and against porcine pancreatic kallikrein and plasmin. The homologues with either lysine or arginine in the P1 position are equally good inhibitors of trypsin, plasmin and kallikrein. The Arg-15-homologue is a slightly more effective kallikrein inhibitor than the Lys15-inhibitor. The semisynthetic phenylalanine and tryptophan homologues, however, are weak inhibitors of trypsin and still weaker inhibitors of kallikrein, but are excellent inhibitors of chymotrypsin. Their association constant with chymotrypsin is at least ten times higher than that of native Lys-15-inhibitor. A dramatic specificity change is observed with the phenylalanine and tryptophan homologues, which in contrast to the native inhibitor do not at all inhibit porcine plasmin. Thus, the nature of the P1 residue strongly influences the primary inhibitory specificity of the bovine inhibitor (Kunitz).     

Pregnancy zone protein, a proteinase-binding macroglobulin. Interactions with proteinases and methylamine

Human pregnancy zone protein (PZP) is a major pregnancy-associated plasma protein, strongly related to alpha 2-macroglobulin (alpha 2M). Its properties and its reactions with a number of enzymes, particularly chymotrypsin, and with methylamine have been investigated. It is concluded that native PZP molecules are dimers of disulfide-bridged 180-kDa subunits and that proteinase binding results in covalent 1:1 (tetrameric)PZP-enzyme complexes. Native PZP is unstable, and storage should be avoided, but when kept unfrozen at 0 degree C most PZP preparations stay native 1-3 months. The reaction of PZP with chymotrypsin involves (i) proteolysis of bait regions, (ii) cleavage of beta-cysteinyl-gamma-glutamyl thiol ester groups, (iii) some change of the conformation and quaternary structure of PZP, and (iv) the formation of covalent 1:1 chymotrypsin-PZP(tetramer) complexes in which chymotrypsin is active but shows less activity than free chymotrypsin. The emission spectra of intrinsic fluorescence show significant differences between the PZP-chymotrypsin complex and its native components, whereas no differences are observed between methylamine-reacted PZP and native PZP. Methylamine reacts with the beta-cysteinyl-gamma-glutamyl thiol ester groups of PZP in a second-order process with k = (13.6 +/- 0.5) M-1 s-1, pH 7.6, 25 degrees C. The reaction product is PZP(dimers); no PZP(tetramers) are formed. The proteinase-binding specificity of PZP is far more restricted than that of alpha 2M. Certain chymotrypsin-like and trypsin-like enzymes are bound much less efficiently than is chymotrypsin itself.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Human alpha-1-antichymotrypsin: purification and properties.

Human alpha-1-antichymotrypsin has been purified to homogeneity by the following sequential steps--(a) ammonium sulfate fractionation; (b) chromatography on Cibacron Blue Sepharose at pH 7.0; and (c) chromatography on SP-Sephadex C-50 at pH 5.5. The inhibitor has a molecular weight near 68,000 and contains approximately 26% carbohydrate alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin has an amino-terminal arginine and a carboxy-terminal glycine. It also has some homology with alpha-1-PI based on amino-terminal sequence analysis of both proteins. Complexes of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin with human chymotrypsin and human leukocyte cathepsin G are stable in sodium dodecyl sulfate and have molecular weights near 90,000 suggesting 1:1 complex formation on a molar basis between inhibitor and enzyme.     

Differential inhibition of serine proteinases by rabbit alpha 1-proteinase inhibitors F and S

Inhibition of six serine proteinases (bovine trypsin and chymotrypsin, equine leucocyte proteinases type 1 and 2A, porcine pancreatic elastase type III and rabbit plasmin) by rabbit alpha 1-proteinase inhibitors F and S was studied. In each case examined, the F form reacted more rapidly. The number of moles of an enzyme inhibited by one mole of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor in a complete reaction (molar inhibitory capacity) ranged from 0.26 (leucocyte proteinase type 1) to 1.01 (trypsin). More significantly, however, the molar inhibitory capacities of both alpha 1-proteinase inhibitors differed for the same enzymes. The highest F/S inhibitory ratio was recorded with chymotrypsin (1.88), and the lowest with elastase (0.69). These differences in molar inhibitory capacities are likely to reflect the dual nature of the reaction between the inhibitor and a proteinase, that is, either complex formation or inactivation of alpha 1-proteinase inhibitor without enzyme inhibition. No evidence was obtained to suggest that differential reactivity and differential inhibitory capacity are interdependent. The observations are consistent with the view that rabbit alpha 1-proteinase inhibitors F and S are closely related yet functionally distinct proteins.     

Consequences of the modification of tryptophan-215 on the function of bovine alpha-chymotrypsin

At pH values between 4.5 and 7.0, 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide reacts selectively with tryptophan-215 in bovine α-chymotrypsin as demonstrated by the isolation of peptides containing modified amino acid residues. The degree of substitution at lower pH values indicates conformational changes in the enzyme observed previously by physico-chemical methods. The substitution of the native enzyme results in the loss of esterase activity. Nevertheless 2-hydroxy-5-nitro-benzyl chymotrypsin is still able to react with diisopropylphosphofluoridate.The catalytically inactive derivatives of α-chymotrypsin, DIP, TPCK and anhydro-chymotrypsin, as well as the complex of α-chymotrypsin with basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, are not modified by 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzyl bromide under the same conditions as those used for the native enzyme.HNB-chymotrypsin and anhydro-chymotrypsin, both catalytically inactive, form stoichiometric complexes with the basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor whereas both PMS and DIP α-chymotrypsin did not have this complexing property. From the results of this and a preceding study (Ako et al., 1972) it is concluded that the intactness of the catalytic function of ehymotrypsin is not obligatory for the binding of basic pancreatic inhibitor.     

The biological activity of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin: the change of chymotrypsin-inhibitory and immunoenhancing activities by heat treatment

The relationship between chymotrypsin-inhibitory and immunoenhancing activity of alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was studied. alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin was treated at 50 degrees C, 55 degrees C or 60 degrees C for 15 min. It was found that antichymotryptic activity was reduced by half when alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was heated at 55 degrees C and was not detected at all when heating was carried out at 60 degrees C. alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin which was heated at 60 degrees C did not form a complex with chymotrypsin, but became a substrate for chymotrypsin. The effect of native and heated alpha-1-antichymotrypsin on antibody response was studied in mice. alpha-1-Antichymotrypsin increased the number of anti-sheep erythrocytes antibody producing cells even when it was heated at 60 degrees C. Circular dichroism and single radial immunodiffusion were used to detect conformational changes. Circular dichroism in the region of side chain absorption showed that the intensities of the spectra at 296, 284, and 265 nm decreased with a rise in temperature from 50 to 60 degrees C. In single radial immunodiffusion analysis, alpha-1-antichymotrypsin did not form a halo after being heated at 60 degrees C. In conclusion, when alpha-1-antichymotrypsin was heated at 60 degrees C, the immunoenhancing activity remained intact while the antichymotryptic activity was lost with the conformational change.     

Inhibition mechanism of a peanut trypsin-chymotrypsin inhibitor, B-III: determination of the reactive sites for trypsin and chymotrypsin

Peanut inhibitor B-III was found to form two types of complexes with trypsin, T2I and TI, by gel filtration HPLC. Two cleaved peptide bonds, Arg(10)-Arg(11) and Arg(38)-Ser(39), in the trypsin modified inhibitor (TM-B-III*R*S) (J. Biochem. 93, 479-485 (1983] were resynthesized by the complex formation with 2 mol of trypsin. These results suggest that the two peptide bonds may be the reactive sites for trypsin. TM-B-III*R*S inhibited bovine trypsin as well as native B-III but had little chymotrypsin inhibitory activity. The two peptide bonds, Arg(10)-Arg(11) and Arg(38)-Ser(39), in B-III were cleaved partly by prolonged incubation with a catalytic amount of chymotrypsin. But gel filtration HPLC of the chymotrypsin-inhibitor complex showed the formation of only CI complex. Incubation of TM-B-III*R*S with an equimolar amount of chymotrypsin resulted in the resynthesis of only the Arg(10)-Arg(11) bond. These findings suggest that Arg(10)-Arg(11) may be a true reactive site for chymotrypsin. An inhibition mechanism of B-III against trypsin and chymotrypsin was proposed from the results obtained by the present studies.