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Globulin-specific Proteolytic Activity in Germinating Pumpkin Seeds as Detected by a Fluorescence Assay Method ¹

^a Department of Horticulture and Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801

The proteolytic activities of -chymotrypsin, trypsin, pepsin, bromelain, and an extract from germinating pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita moschata) were determined by their ability to effect the release of 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate bound to internal hydrophobic sites in intact protein substrates. Casein, glyceraldehyde-3-P dehydrogenase, urease, catalase, pumpkin seed globulin, and bovine serum albumin enhanced the fluorescence of 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate sufficiently to be used as proteolytic substrates. Chymotrypsin, trypsin, pepsin, and bromelain exhibited activity against all or almost all of the protein substrates. The activity of 1 µg of -chymotrypsin or trypsin and 100 ng of pepsin could be easily detected by this method of assay within 4 to 5 minutes depending upon the substrate. The enzyme extracted from 3-day germinated pumpkin seeds exhibited strong activity only against pumpkin seed globulin, weak activity against the globulins of squash and cucumber and casein, and no activity against the other protein substrates. Activity against pumpkin globulin was maximal at pH 7.4. When assayed by an increase in ninhydrin-positive products, the enzyme extract from pumpkin seeds also showed strong activity against pumpkin globulin and weak activity against casein. The 1-anilino-8-naphthalenesulfonate-fluorescence method was at least 20 times more sensitive than the ninhydrin method and was 10 to 20 times more rapid.