Further studies of plasma protease inhibitors in the hedgehog, Erinaceus europaeus; collagenase, papain and plasmin inhibitors.
Hedgehog plasma was separated by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200, the fractions resolved by electrophoresis and the electrophoretograms characterized for collagenase, papain and plasmin inhibiting activities with the high mol. wt substrate casein. The three inhibitors previously identified as alpha 2-, alpha 2-beta- and beta-macroglobulins were found to inhibit all three proteases. These were the only collagenase inhibitors found in plasma. Hedgehog alpha 2-chymotrypsin inhibitor and beta-protease inhibitor were both found to also inhibit papain. Three new inhibitors specific for papain (gamma-, alpha 2- and alpha 1-cysteine protease inhibitors) and one for plasmin (alpha 2-antiplasmin) were also found, bringing the number of protease inhibitors in hedgehog plasma to 14. Immunological cross-reactivity as studied by immunoelectrophoresis showed homology between hedgehog alpha 2-macroglobulin and rat murinoglobulin I and between hedgehog alpha 2-antithrombin and rat antithrombin III.
D000818:Animals; D005341:Fibrinolysin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D006364:Hedgehogs / Q000097:blood*; D007700:Kinetics; D003012:Microbial Collagenase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010206:Papain / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification
D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D005341:Fibrinolysin; D010206:Papain; D003012:Microbial Collagenase