Ovochymase 2 (OVCH2)

Ovochymases have been shown to be present in vertebrates; little information is available at present regarding ovochymase in invertebrates.The cDNA contained a 1248 bp open reading frame corresponding to a deduced protein of 415 amino acids with a predicted molecular mass of approximately 44.4 kDa. BbOvc was located at the base of its vertebrate counterparts, suggesting that it represents the archetype of vertebrate ovochymases. BbOvc is found to display a tissue- and stage-specific expression pattern, with a predominant expression in the ovary of sexually matured females and in the early stage embryos. ovochymase expressed in vitro shows a trypsin-like activity capable of hydrolysing the trypsin prototypic substrate N^a-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester, which can be inhibited by the trypsin-specific inhibitor soybean trypsin inhibitor.