The Effect of Proteolytic Enzymes on E. coli Phages and on Native Proteins

Lambda coli phage is not inactivated by chymotrypsin, trypsin, or ficin. T(2) phage is slowly inactivated by high concentrations of (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, or Delta-chymotrypsin, but not by trypsin or ficin. P(1) phage is slowly inactivated by alpha-, beta-, or gamma-chymotrypsin, or ficin, more rapidly by Delta-chymotrypsin, and much more rapidly by trypsin. Crystalline egg albumin, crystalline serum albumin, E. coli nucleoprotein, and yeast nucleoprotein are hydrolyzed slowly by alpha-chymotrypsin. Yeast nucleoprotein, like P(1) phage, is hydrolyzed more rapidly by Delta-chymotrypsin than by alpha-chymotrypsin, but not by trypsin or ficin. Neither phages nor native proteins were attacked by papain, carboxypeptidase, deoxyribonuclease, or ribonuclease.