The effect of aluminium on Structural stability of pepsin in presence and absence organic solvents

Aspartic proteases (APs) (EC 3.4.23.X) catalyze the hydrolysis of peptide bonds, a reaction that is fundamental to many biological processes. All of the vertebrate and most of the fungal APs are synthesized as zymogens. Porcine pepsin (EC 3.4.23.1) belongs to the aspartic protease family. Pepsin is a gastric aspartic protease and one of the three principal protein degrading enzymes in the digestive system. Pepsin is an industrial enzyme in the food industry. In this study, thermal stability of pepsin investigated in the different concentrations of aluminium in presence and absence of organic solvents ) butanol, ethanol, 1,4-Butanediol and glycerol). Thermal stability of pepsin increased in the presence of aluminium and decreased in presence of organic solvents ) butanol, ethanol, 1,4-butanediol ) and unchanged in presence of glycerol .Thermal stability of pepsin increased in presence organic solvents with adding of aluminium to its absence. possibly aluminum ions through electrostatic and dative interactions with carboxylate groups of Aspartic acid and Glutamic acid residues are bonded to pepsin structure, and causing to condense enzyme structure which leading to increasing thermal stability of pepsin. Mechanism of increasing thermal stability of pepsin is unknown in presence of aluminium. Therefore, we can reduce the instability of pepsin in presence of organic solvents by Aluminium.