Isolation and Characterisation of a Low Molecular Weight Inhibitor (of Chymotrypsin and Human Granulocytic Elastase and Cathepsin G) from Leeches

Abstract

Two protein proteinase inhibitors were isolated and purified from the leech Hirudo medicinalis by means of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. They inhibit chymotrypsin, subtilisin and the granulocytic neutral proteases elastase and cathepsin G. They proved to be homogeneous in polyacrylamide and dodecylsulfate [SDS] gel electrophoresis and by end group analysis; only threonine was found as N-terminal amino acid residue using the dansylation technique. These inhibitors, termed eglins, are stable in neutral and weakly acid (pH 3) solutions and resist non-specific proteolysis. From the amino acid compositions, a MW of 6600-6800 is calculated for both inhibitory proteins, which is in good agreement with a value of about 6000 estimated by SDS electrophoresis. The eglins contain an unusually large amount of hydrophobic amino acid residues but no methionine, isoleucine or, a rarity, cysteine residues or disulfide bridges. To our knowledge, the eglins are the 1st examples of proteinase inhibitors of the protein type not stabilized by disulfide bridges.