Characterization of papaya peptidase A as an enzyme of extreme basicity

Papaya peptidase A, a papain-like enzyme, has formerly been shown to contain a larger excess of basic amino acids and to have a higher isoelectric point than any of the other enzymes in the papaya latex. Determinations of the free electrophoretic mobility as a function of pH now establishes the isoelectric point of papaya peptidase A as 11.7 and that of succinylated papaya peptidase A as 3.8. Although the specific activity of the enzyme appears only slightly affected by the succinylation, the accompanying change in the charge/mobility ratio seems to indicate a relatively large conformational change upon succinylation.