[Characteristics of two thiol proteinases from spleen active in neutral media]

Two SH-dependent proteinases (I and II) active in neutral media were isolated from bovine spleen and purified to apparent homogeneity. The histone-hydrolyzing activity of proteinase I was increased 3500-fold as compared to that of the original extract. Proteinase I hydrolyzed a variety of proteins (histones, azocasein, hemoglobin, collagen) but did not hydrolyze low molecular weight synthetic substrates, such as BAPA, BANA, BAEE, ATEE, Leu-beta-NA, Arg-beta-Na and Ala-beta-NA. The molecular weight of the enzyme as determined by SDS electrophoresis was found to be about 23,000. Isoelectrofocusing of the enzyme resulted in one major component with pI of 6.05 and in two minor components with pI of 6.2 and 6.4. Proteinase II hydrolyzed Leu-beta-NA, Arg-beta-NA and Ala-beta-NA but did not hydrolyze beta-naphthylamides of dicarboxylic acids and Gly-Phe-beta-Na. This proteinase split BANA and histone and very slowly split azocasein and collagen. Proteinase II was found to have a molecular weight of 30 000 and a pI of 6.8-6.9. Proteinase I inactivated fructose-1.6-diphosphate aldolase, partly inactivated glucose-6-phosphatase dehydrogenase and caused activation of phosphodiesterase of cyclic nucleotides. Proteinase II had no effect on the activity of the above enzymes. A comparison of proteinase I and II with enzymes described in literature demonstrated that the former was cathepsin L, while the latter was cathepsin H from spleen.