Crystal structure of the Kunitz (STI)-type inhibitor from Delonix regia seeds

The three-dimensional structure of a novel Kunitz (STI) family member, an inhibitor purified from Delonix regia seeds (DrTI), was solved by molecular replacement method and refined, respectively, to R(factor) and R(free) values of 21.5% and 25.3% at 1.75A resolution. The structure has a classical beta-trefoil fold, however, differently from canonical Kunitz type (STI) inhibitors, its reactive site loop has an insertion of one residue, Glu68, between the residues P1 and P2. Surprisingly, DrTI is an effective inhibitor of trypsin and human plasma kallikrein, but not of chymotrypsin and tissue kallikrein. Putative structural grounds of such specificity are discussed.