Purification And Characterization Of A Novel Fibrinolytic Enzyme From Whitmania Pigra Whitman

A fibrinolytic enzyme was purified from the dry body of Whitmania pigra Whitman. The fibrinolytic enzyme was purified to homogeneity with a yield of 0.003% and a purification of 630.7 fold. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 26.7 kDa by reduced sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The enzyme was tested by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and it showed that the enzyme was a novel fibrinolytic enzyme. The optimal pH and temperature of the enzyme were 8.5 and 55 degrees C, respectively. Enzyme activity was enhanced by Na+, Mg-2+,Mg- and K+. On the contrary, the proteolytic activity was significantly inhibited by Mn2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), and ethylenebis(oxyethylenenitrilo)tetraacetic acid (EGTA). Fibrinolytic and fibrinogenolytic assays showed that the enzyme preferentially hydrolyzed fibrinogen A-chains, followed by B- and -chains. The -, -, and --chains of fibrin were also degraded by the enzyme.