Substrate specificity and modifications of the active centre of elastase-like neutral proteinases from horse blood leucocytes.

Two proteinases (2A and 2B) purified from the granular fraction of horse blood leucocytes degrade casein (Km values 12.8 and 6mg/ml respectively) with maximum activity at pH 7.4 and in the presence of 2m-urea. Urea-denatured haemoglobin, fibrinogen, albumin and resorcin/fuchsin-stained elastin are digested at a slower rate. The enzymes hydrolyse synthetic substrates of elastase, N-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-alanine 4-nitrophenyl ester (Km 0.114 and 0.178 mM) and N-acetyl-tri-L-alanine methyl ester (Km 5.55 and 0.98 mM), but they do not hydrolyse synthetic substrates of trypsin, chymotrypsin and thrombin. The examined proteinases are completely inhibited by 2 mM-di-isopropyl phosphorfluoridate and show a sensitivity to butyl and octyl isocyanates similar to that of pancreatic elastase. The pH-dependence of their photoinactivation in the presence of Rose Bengal indicates the presence of histidine in the active centre. Proteinase 2A rather insensitive to iodination by IC1 as is pancreatic elastase, whereas proteinase 2B is totally inactivated after incorporation of five iodine atoms per enzyme molecule.