A protease inhibitor of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis

Somatic extracts of Nippostrongylus brasiliensis contain protease inhibitor(s) capable of inhibiting the activity of trypsin and chymotrypsin A and B. This inhibitor was partially purified by affinity chromatography. Its molecular weight is in the range of 9500-10 000. The inhibition of both trypsin and chymotrypsin depends on the same or closely adjacent active sites of the inhibitor molecule. The inhibitor is unaffected by heating, pH changes or urea, but is sensitive to 2-mercaptoethanol The formation of the enzyme-inhibitor complex is time-dependent. The complex does not dissociate with KC1. The inhibitor has no effect on the activity of elastase, subtilisin, pepsin, rennin, papain and collagenase.