Isolation, Characterization and Utilization of Psychrophilic Proteinases from Atlantic Cod

Abstract

A mixture of psychrophilic proteolytic enzymes, called Cryotin, has been prepared from a neutral extract of pyloric caeca from Atlantic cod Gadus morhua. This proteinase mixture has many unique characteristics. The proteinases, studied so far, are more active at low temperatures, when compared to their mammalian counterparts. They are also unusually thermo-labile as well as acid labile. Cryotin has been shown to contain trypsin, chymototrypsin, elastase and a collogenolytic enzyme, as well as other proteolytic and peptidolytic activities, but it is practically devoid of lipase, amylase and nuclease activities.