title: A trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor from chick peas (Cicer arietinum).
abstract: 1. A trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor was isolated by extraction of chick-pea meal at pH8.3, followed by (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and successive column chromatography on CM-cellulose and calcium phosphate (hydroxyapatite). 2. The inhibitor was pure by polyacrylamide-gel and cellulose acetate electrophoresis and by isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels. 3. The inhibitor had a molecular weight of approx. 10000 as determined by ultracentrifugation and by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. A molecular weight of 8300 was resolved from its amino acid composition. 4. The inhibitor formed complexes with trypsin and chymotrypsin at molar ratios of 1:1. 5. Limited proteolysis of the inhibitor with trypsin at pH3.75 resulted in hydrolysis of a single-Lys-X-bond and in consequent loss of 85% of the trypsin inhibitory activity and 60% of the chymotrypsin inhibitory activity. Limited proteolysis of the inhibitor with chymotrypsin at pH3.75 resulted in hydrolysis of a single-Tyr-X-bond and in consequent loss of 70% of the trypsin inhibitory activity and in complete loss of the chymotrypsin inhibitory activity. 6. Cleavage of the inhibitor with CNBr followed by pepsin and consequent separation of the products on a Bio Gel P-10 column, yielded two active fragments, A and B. Fragment A inhibited trypsin but not chymotrypsin, and fragment B inhibited chymotrypsin but not trypsin. The specific trypsin inhibitory activity, on a molar ratio, of fragment A was twice that of the native inhibitor, suggesting the unmasking of another trypsin inhibitory site as a result of the cleavage. On the other hand, the specific chymotrypsin inhibitory activity of fragment B was about one-half of that of the native inhibitor, indicating the occurrence of a possible conformational change.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D001665:Binding Sites; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D002918:Chymotrypsin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide; D010434:Pepsin A; D012639:Seeds / Q000032:analysis*; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D014361:Trypsin Inhibitors; D002268:Carboxypeptidases; D002918:Chymotrypsin; D010434:Pepsin A; D003488:Cyanogen Bromide