Purification and properties of a proteolytic enzyme from French beans.

1. A proteolytic enzyme with some features of a carboxypeptidase has been purified some 1180-fold from the sap of French beans (Phaseolus vulgaris var. Prince). A bright blue protein, plastocyanin, was separated from the enzyme by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. 2. Unlike carboxypeptidase A or B of animal origin, there is no evidence that the enzyme is a metalloprotein. There was no stimulation of activity by a number of metal ions, reducing agents or 2-mercapto-ethanol. Neither EDTA nor 1,10-o-phenanthroline inhibited the enzyme. 3. The proteolytic enzyme from beans, readily soluble at neutral or slightly acidic pH values, has a pH optimum of pH5.6 for the hydrolysis of leucine from benzyloxy-carbonylglycyl-l-leucine. Solutions of the enzyme in 0.1m-sodium acetate, pH5.5, lose about 2% of their activity/week at 4 degrees . Virtually no loss of activity results after prolonged storage at -15 degrees . 4. Incubation of the bean enzyme with peptides indicates that the enzyme will release acidic, neutral and basic amino acid residues as well as proline, although adjacent acidic residues in a peptide appear to inhibit the enzyme. The possibility of endopeptidase activity in the purified preparation requires further examination.