A novel form of ficin from Ficus carica latex: Purification and characterization

A novel ficin form was isolated from Ficus carica latex by combination of cation-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, affinity and fplc-gel filtration chromatographies. Mass spectrometry and far-UV CD analyses revealed very close molecular mass and secondary structure contents comparable to the known ficins. N-terminal sequencing and gel electrophoresis clearly demonstrated a novel protease form. Enzymatic activity measurements suggested different substrate specificities. The novel ficin resembles a papain-like protease according to inhibitory activity data.