Mechanism of polyamine inhibition of a leaf protease

The inhibition of a highly purified alfalfa (Medicago sativa) leaf protease by naturally occurring polyamines is reported. The tetraamine spermine shows the highest inhibitory effect, with the maximum inhibition at 0.1 mM. Kinetic data indicate an apparent hyperbolic competitive inhibition. CD measurements show that in the presence of 0.1 mM spermine the enzyme undergoes a conformational change with the loss of 16% alpha-helix secondary structure content. Both the inhibition and the conformational change are prevented by high ionic strength. These data suggest a novel control mechanism of proteolytic activity in the leaf.