Connectin, an elastic protein of muscle. Effects of proteolytic enzymes in situ.

The effects of various proteolytic enzymes on the high molecular weight protein (connectin) present in a direct sodium dodecyl sulfate extract of myofibrils from chicken breast muscle were studied in detail. To keep the high molecular weight proteins intact, myofibrils had to be prepared in the presence of EGTA. Trypsin, chymotrypsin, papain, and nagarse readily hydrolyzed connectin (doublet band of titin) and the band 3 protein (N2-line protein). Pepsin did not attack connectin, but digested the band 3 protein and myosin. Calcium-activated neutral proteinase hydrolyzed the band 3 protein, leaving connectin intact. On the other hand, serine protease digested connectin but not the band 3 protein.