A new serine protease which preferentially recognizes p-guanidino-L-phenylalanyl residue in ascitic plasma from Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mice.

A new enzyme which hydrolyzes anilide substrates of p-guanidino-L-phenylalanine in preference to those of arginine was found in the ascitic plasma from Ehrlich ascites tumor-bearing mice. The activity of this enzyme on N alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-p-guanidino-L-phenylalanine p-nitroanilide was strongly inhibited by diisopropyl fluorophosphate and phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride but not by sulfhydryl-reactive reagents and metal chelating agents. Peptide substrates containing p-guanidino-L-phenylalanine were hydrolyzed by this enzyme much faster than those containing arginine. These results suggest that this enzyme is a different type of serine protease from trypsin and thrombin. This enzyme was also found in the human gastric and colon cancer cells and their surrounding ascitic plasmas.