I.U.B.: 3.4.21.36

Porcine pancreatic elastase has a molecular weight of 25.9 kDa, and a pH optimum of 8.5. While elastase will hydrolyze a wide variety of protein substrates, it is unique among proteases in its ability to hydrolyze native elastin, a substrate not attacked by trypsin, chymotrypsin or pepsin. Soybean trypsin inhibitor and kallikrein inhibitor suppress proteolytic but not elastolytic activity. Elastase is assayed using a method adapted from that of Feinstein et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Comm., 50, 1020 (1973) and using the more soluble substrate of Bieth et al., Biochem. Med., 11, 350 (1974).

Stability/Storage: Elastase is unstable at pH ≤ 3.5. When stored as a dry powder the enzyme is stable for 6-12 months at 2-8°C. Elastase product codes: ES and ESL have poor solubility at neutral pH and at concentrations greater than 0.25%. It is helpful to make primary solutions in KCl or alkaline buffers before diluting into the reaction mixtures or media, compensating for ionic strength or pH changes. Stable at pH 4.0-10.4.

Technical Notes: 1 SucAla₃NA unit is approximately equivalent to 6 elastin digestion units. Aqueous liquid suspensions should be aseptically handled to avoid bacterial contamination. Due to the viscous nature of the aqueous suspension (Code: ES) the vial should be rinsed to recover contents.

Unit Definition: One Unit cleaves one micromole of N-succinyl-L-alanyl-L-alanyl-L-alanine-p-nitroanilide per minute at 25°C, pH 8.0.

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