Tryptase was previously shown to undergo rapid inactivation under physiological conditions unless stabilized by the presence of heparin. The current study shows that increasing the concentration of free tryptase enhances the preservation of enzymic activity, consistent with dissociation of the tetramer, rather than autodegradation, as the mechanism of inactivation. Heparin glycosaminoglycan fragments of Mr greater than 5700 are necessary for complete stabilization of tryptase activity. This stabilizing effect depends upon negative charge density rather than carbohydrate composition. Thus, keratan sulphate or hyaluronic acid were no better than physiological buffer alone; chondroitin monosulphates and heparan sulphate each prolonged the t1/2 about 20-fold over buffer alone; chondroitin sulphate E prolonged the t1/2 69-fold; and dextran sulphate and heparin provided complete stabilization of tryptase activity for 120 min. Poly-D-glutamic acid prolonged the t1/2 55-fold. In each case the loss of tryptase activity followed apparent first-order kinetics. Increasing the NaCl concentration from 0.01 M to 1.0 M increased the stability of free tryptase. In contrast, increasing the NaCl concentration in the presence of stabilizing polysaccharides decreased the stability of tryptase until dissociation of tryptase from each polysaccharide presumably occurred; thereafter tryptase stability increased as did that of free tryptase. The effect of salt concentration on heparin-stabilized tryptase activity (as opposed to stability) was also evaluated. The mast cell proteoglycans heparin and chondroitin sulphate E, by virtue of containing the naturally occurring glycosaminoglycans of highest negative charge density, may play a major role in the regulation of mast cell tryptase activity in vivo.

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Firefly luciferase, containing an average of seven free sulfhydryls per two 50 000-dalton polypeptides, was modified by various sulfhydryl reagents. The differential reactivities of the sulfhydryls in luciferase protected by substrates allow one to define three categories of these groups: Class SH-III contains three sulfhydryls that are not involved in enzymatic activity. Class SH-II contains two sulfhydryls whose modification by different reagents causes varying effects on activity ranging from 0 to 60% inactivation. These sulfhydryls are not essential but may be important structurally or sterically. Class SH-I contains two sulfhydryls that are protected by substrates, either dehydroluciferyl adenylate or dehydroluciferin alone, and are located at or near the active site. The SH-I sulfhydryls are vicinal in the enzyme as demonstrated by their ability to form a disulfide bond. They have also been shown to exist on a single polypeptide chain. Modification of the SH-I groups by most reagents results in complete loss of enzymatic activity; reaction with methyl methanethiosulfonate produces an enzyme that emits only red light whereas native luciferase emits yellow-green light. Evidence is presented that the modified enzyme, while catalytically active, has a distorted active site. It is concluded that these two SH-I sulfhydryls are not essential for activity.

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