[Effect of polymer modification of insulin on its enzymatic hydrolysis and conformation properties]

AI, B29 insulin polymeric derivatives in which the polymeric chains (N-polyvinylimidazole, N-polyvinylpyrrolydone and polyacrylic acid) are bonded to the insulin molecule at one point were synthesized. The hydrolysis of the modified insulin by trypsin is dependent to a great extent on the chemical nature of the modifying polymer and is virtually independent of its molecular weight up to 20 kD. The effect of the modifying polymer manifests itself mainly in a change of the Michaelis constant. Investigation of the conformational properties of the insulin derivatives by the method of optical rotatory dispersion revealed that insulin modification by polymers caused a decrease of the amino acid content in the alpha-helical sequence from 41 to 33-30%. The chemical nature of the modifying polymer and its molecular weight have a profound effect on the conformational stability of the residual spatial structure of the modified insulin in alkaline media.