Relative reactivities of chemically modified turkey ovomucoids

The interactions between avian ovomucoids and bovine trypsin or bovine α-chymotrypsin were found to occur at different rates. The rates are dependent upon the types of ovomucoid and enzyme. In the case of turkey ovomucoid, which is an inhibitor of both trypsin and α-chymotrypsin, the reaction with trypsin was approximately three times more rapid than the reaction with α-chymotrypsin. Chemical modification of either the turkey ovomucoid or the enzymes could change the rate of interaction. Chemical modifications of the ovomucoid by several reagents which formed more acidic derivatives increased by several fold the rate of interaction with α-chymotrypsin. These modifications were acetylation, carbamylation, succinylation, and iodination. Amidination of the ovomucoid, which caused no significant change in charge, did not change the rate.