Trypsins from the pyloric ceca of jacopever ( Sebastes schlegelii) and elkhorn sculpin ( Alcichthys alcicornis): Isolation and characterization

Abstract

Trypsins from the pyloric ceca of jacopever ( Sebastes schlegelii), TR-J, and elkhorn sculpin ( Alcichthys alcicornis), TR-E, were purified by gel filtration on Sephacryl S-200 and Sephadex G-50. The molecular weights of TR-J and TR-E were estimated to be 24,000 Da by sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. TR-J and TR-E revealed optimum temperatures of 60 and 50 °C, respectively, and showed the same optimum pH (pH 8.0) for hydrolysis of N α- p-tosyl- l-arginine methyl ester. TR-J and TR-E were unstable at above 50 and 40 °C, respectively, and were more stable at alkaline pH than at acidic pH. Thermal stabilities of TR-J and TR-E were highly calcium dependent. These purified trypsin enzymes were inhibited by serine protease inhibitors, such as TLCK and soybean trypsin inhibitor. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of TR-J and TR-E were also investigated. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of TR-J, IVGGYECKPYSQPHQVSLNS, and TR-E, IVGGYECTPHSQAHQVSLNS, were found, and these sequences showed highly homology to other fish trypsins.