Heparin-binding of the human chitinase-like protein YKL-40 is allosterically modified by chitin oligosaccharides.

The chitinase-like protein YKL-40 (CHI3L1) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of inflammation and cancer. Recent studies highlight the growing interest in targeting and blocking the activity of YKL-40 to treat cancer. Some of those targeting-strategies have been developed to directly block the heparin-affinity of YKL-40 with promising results.

Conjugation of D-glucosamine to bovine trypsin increases thermal stability and alters functional properties.

D-Glucosamine was conjugated to bovine trypsin by carbodiimide chemistry, involving a water-soluble carbodiimide and a succinimide ester, with the latter being to increase the yield of the conjugation. Mass spectrometric data suggested that several glycoforms were formed, with around 12 D-glucosamine moieties coupled to each trypsin molecule on average. The moieties were probably coupled to eight carboxyl groups (of glutamyl and aspartyl residues) and to four tyrosyl residues on the surface of the enzyme.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of biomimetic affinity ligands for elastases.

A low-molecular-weight biomimetic affinity ligand selective for binding elastase has been designed and synthesized. The ligand was based on mimicking part of the interaction between a natural inhibitor, turkey ovomucoid inhibitor and elastase, and modelled from the X-ray crystallographic structure of the enzyme-inhibitor complex. Limited solid-phase combinatorial chemistry was used to synthesize 12 variants of the lead ligand using the triazine moiety as the scaffold for assembly.

Purification and characterization of ovine pancreatic elastase.

Elastase was isolated from ovine pancreas and purified to homogeneity by two different procedures. One involved precipitation with ammonium sulphate, p-aminobenzamidine-Sepharose chromatography, CM-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography and S-300 Sephacryl chromatography. The other involved the direct adsorption of elastase by tri-L-alanyl-Sepharose chromatography and a CM-Sepharose step.