Characterisation of a tryptic peptide from human placental ribonuclease inhibitor which inhibits ribonuclease activity.

Affinity-purified human placental ribonuclease inhibitor (PRI) was digested by trypsin. Subsequent fractionation of the hydrolysate by HPLC yielded 44 fractions, 3 of which retained the ability to inhibit ribonuclease. One of these, the most active, was a 15 amino acid peptide which had an amino acid composition corresponding to a tryptic fragment of PRI. This peptide was synthesised, and preliminary experiments were carried out on its interactions with ribonuclease. These experiments suggested that the behaviour of the peptide in terms of effect of pH, and effect of salt concentration were similar to the protein from which it was derived. These studies together with the strategic positioning of the peptide in the sequence of the ribonuclease inhibitor, suggest that this segment of PRI has an important role in the inhibitory activity of the intact protein.