Partial purification and characterization of dipeptidyl peptidase II (DPP II) from guinea pig testes

Depeptidyl peptidase (DPP II) was partially purified from guinea pig testes by (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 precipitation, Con A‐Sepharose 4B chromatography, and Sephadex G‐200 chromatography to a specific activity of 27.4 μmol Ala 3 hydrolyzed min −1 mg −1 protein. Chromatography on a calibrated G‐200 column yielded a molecular weight of 135,000 daltons for the enzyme. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis showed an enrichment of a broad doublet at 64–66,000 daltons. The enzyme had optimal activity toward hydrolysis of L‐alanyl‐alanyl‐alanine at pH 4.5 and showed sensitivity to cations of increasing size with Tris producing the most inhibition of those tested. The enzyme was moderately inhibited by serine proteinase inhibitors. Thin‐layer chromatography revealed the dipeptidase nature of the enzyme's activity on tripeptides and dipeptidyl arylamides. A doublet of activity occurred when nitrocellulose electroblots of nondenaturing gel electrophoresis of the (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fraction were reacted with the specific DPP II substrate, lysyl‐alanyl‐4‐methoxy‐2‐napthylamide. Analytical isoelectric focusing of the G‐200 fraction followed by fluorescent enzyme activity detection that used cellulose triacetate overlay membranes impregnated with the specific DPP II substrate, lysyl‐alanyl‐7‐amino‐4‐trifluoromethylcou‐marin, revealed multiple isoforms focusing at pI = 4.8–5.6. Two prominent bands focused at pI = 4.9 and pI = 5.1. The properties of guinea pig testicular DPP II are compared and contrasted with similar dipeptidyl peptidases from other sources.