Source: Porcine Pancreas
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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