Purification and characterization of a protein inhibitor of calcium-dependent proteases from rat liver.

Soluble extracts of rat liver contain a protein inhibitor of calcium-dependent proteases. The inhibitor has an apparent Mr = 250,000 and is separated from the calcium-dependent proteases by gel-filtration chromatography in the presence of EGTA. The inhibitor has been purified by affinity chromatography using a calcium-dependent protease covalently linked to Affi-Gel 15. The inhibitor specifically binds to this affinity resin in a calcium-dependent manner and elutes in the presence of EDTA or EGTA. The purified inhibitor appears as a single protein with Mr = 125,000 on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Presumably it is a dimer under nondenaturing conditions. The inhibitor inhibits each of two calcium-dependent proteases from rat liver and from other tissues and species. However, it has no effect on any other protease tested.