Biochem/Physiol Actions | A serine protease that hydrolyzes peptide bonds with aromatic or large hydrophobic side chains (Tyr, Trp, Phe, Met, Leu) on the carboxyl end of the bond. α-Chymotrypsin is a serine peptidase and has 241 amino acid residues contained in three polypeptide chains (A chain-13 residues, B chain-131 residues, and C chain-97 residues) ed by disulfide bridges. Molecular weight of this enzyme is found to be 25 kDa. The pI is 8.75. It selectively hydrolyzes peptide bonds on the C-terminal side of tyrosine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, and leucine. Ca2+ activates and stabilizes the enzyme. The enzyme is inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate (DFP), phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF), N-p-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone (TPCK), chymostatin, aprotinin, α1-antitrypsin, and α2-macroglobulin, as well as 10 mM of Cu2+ and Hg2+. |
Application | α-Chymotrypsin from bovine pancreas has been used in a study to investigate protein extraction by Winsor-III microemulsion systems. α-Chymotrypsin from bovine pancreas has also been used in a study to investigate a new specific fullerene-based fluorescent probe for trypsin. The product has been used to investigate the inhibitory effect of several ether oligomers against the enzyme. It has also been used to cleave pro-phenoloxidase in order to estimate total phenoloxidase in haemolymph. Furthermore, the enzyme has been used as a positive control in chymotrypsin assays using salivary gland and anterior midgut extracts of Deraeocoris nigritulus. |
