Recombinant trypsin Y from atlantic cod-properties for commercial use

This paper describes the production of the novel recombinant trypsin Y polypeptide from Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in a Pichia pastoris expression system and gives a characterization of the enzyme. It presents the first biochemical data supplementing the molecular description of the putative group III trypsins. Unexpectedly, the results demonstrate that the recombinant trypsin Y has a dual substrate specificity demonstrating both trypsin and chymotrypsin activities. It shows increasing proteolytic activity at temperatures between 2-21°C, and it is completely inactivated at 30°C. These properties may be important for the commercial use of recombinant trypsin Y, as other cold-adapted proteolytic enzymes from the Atlantic cod have proven their usefulness in various industrial and medical applications. © 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.