1. L-trans-Epoxysuccinyl-leucylamido(4-guanidino)butane (E-64) at a concentration of 0.5 mM had no effect on the serine proteinases plasma kallikrein and leucocyte elastase or the metalloproteinases thermolysin and clostridial collagenase. In contrast, 10 muM-E-64 rapidly inactivated the cysteine proteinases cathepsins B, H and L and papain (t0.5 = 0.1-17.3s). The streptococcal cysteine proteinase reacted much more slowly, and there was no irreversible inactivation of clostripain. The cysteine-dependent exopeptidase dipeptidyl peptidase I was very slowly inactivated by E-64. 2. the active-site-directed nature of the interaction of cathepsin B and papain with E-64 was established by protection of the enzyme in the presence of the reversible competitive inhibitor leupeptin and by the stereospecificity for inhibition by the L as opposed to the D compound. 3. It was shown that the rapid stoichiometric reaction of the cysteine proteinases related to papain can be used to determine the operational molarity of solutions of the enzymes and thus to calibrate rate assays. 4. The apparent second-order rate constants for the inactivation of human cathepsins B and H and rat cathepsin L by a series of structural analogues of E-64 are reported, and compared with those for some other active-site-directed inhibitors of cysteine proteinases. 5. L-trans-Epoxysuccinyl-leucylamido(3-methyl)butane (Ep-475) was found to inhibit cathepsins B and L more rapidly than E-64. 6. Fumaryl-leucylamido(3-methyl)butane (Dc-11) was 100-fold less reactive than the corresponding epoxide, but was nevertheless about as effective as iodoacetate.

The protein from chicken egg white that inhibits cysteine proteinases, and has been named 'cystatin', was purified by ovomucin precipitation, affinity chromatography on carboxymethylpapain-Sepharose and chromatofocusing. The final purification step separated two major forms of the protein (pI 6.5 and 5.6), with a total recovery of about 20% from egg white. By use of affinity chromatography and immunodiffusion it was shown that the inhibitor is also present at low concentrations in the serum of male and female chickens. Tryptic peptide maps of the separated forms 1 and 2 of egg-white cystatin were closely similar, and each form had the N-terminal sequence Ser-Glx-Asx. The two forms showed complete immunological identity, and neither contained carbohydrate. Ki values for the inhibition of cysteine proteinases were as follows: papain (less than 1 X 10(-11)M), cathepsin B (8 X 10(-10)M), cathepsin H (about 2 X 10(-8)M) and cathepsin L (about 3 X 10(-12)M). Some other cysteine proteinases, and several non-cysteine proteinases, were found not to be significantly inhibited by cystatin. The inhibition of the exopeptidase dipeptidyl peptidase I by cystatin was confirmed and the Ki found to be 2 X 10(-10)M. Inhibitor complexes with active cysteine proteinases and the inactive derivatives formed by treatment with iodoacetate, E-64 [L-trans-epoxysuccinylleucylamido(4-guanidino)butane] and benzyloxycarbonylphenylalanylalanyldiazomethane were demonstrated by isoelectric focusing and cation-exchange chromatography. The complexes dissociated in sodium dodecyl sulphate/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis (with or without reduction) with no sign of fragmentation of the inhibitor. Cystatin was found not to contain a free thiol group, and there was no indication that disulphide exchange plays any part in the mechanism of inhibition.

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1. It has been found that cathepsin L is very susceptible to loss of activity through autolysis. When this is prevented by purification and storage of the enzyme as its mercury derivative, preparations are obtained with higher specific activity than previously. 2. Active-site titration shows, however, that even the new purification method does not give preparations in which the enzyme is 100% active. 3. Benzyloxycarbonylphenylalanylarginine 7-(4-methyl)coumarylamide has been discovered to be a very sensitive substrate for cathepsin L. Like all other known substrates for cathepsin L, however, it is also cleaved by cathepsin B. 4. Cathepsin L degrades insoluble collagen at pH 3.5 over 5-fold faster than at pH 6.0. The specific activity at pH 3.5 is 5-10-fold higher than that of cathepsin B (rat or human) or bovine spleen cathepsin N ('collagenolytic cathepsin'). 5. Qualitatively, the action of cathepsin L on collagen is similar to that of cathepsins B and N, i.e. selective cleavage of terminal peptides leads to conversion of beta- and higher components mainly to alpha-chains.

A Ca2+-activated cysteine proteinase (calpain II) was purified from chicken gizzard smooth muscle by use of isoelectric precipitation, (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, chromatography on DEAE-Sepharose CL-6B, Reactive-Red 120-agarose and Mono Q. The apparent second-order rate constants for the inactivation of calpain by a series of structural analogues of L-3-carboxy-trans-2, 3-epoxypropionyl-leucylamido-(4-guanidino)butane (E-64) were determined. The fastest rate of inactivation was observed with L-3-carboxy-trans-2, 3-epoxypropionyl-leucylamido-(4-benzyloxy-carbonylamino)buta ne. It was possible to determine the active-site molarity of solutions of calpain by titration with E-64. When incubated with Ca2+, calpain underwent several steps of intermolecular limited proteolysis, via multiple pathways, followed by a slower loss of enzymic activity. The proteolytic steps preceding the loss of activity did not affect the rates of reaction of calpain with E-64 analogues.