Photochem Photobiol Sci
March 2006
A convenient and rapid method for the photo-regulation of the proteolytic enzyme alpha-chymotrypsin is described. When alpha-chymotrypsin is coated with photolytic 1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethanol residues this not only markedly reduces the capability of the enzyme to digest both of the small substrates N-benzoyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester and N-succinyl-L-phenylalanine p-nitroanilide, but also completely inhibits the enzyme's proteolytic activity. The inactivated alpha-chymotrypsin can then be reactivated under physiological conditions, when and where it is required, by exposure to UV-A light.
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