Purification and characterization of a novel proteinase A inhibitor from Ganoderma lucidum by submerged fermentation

A novel proteinase A inhibitor was purified from Ganoderma lucidum. The purification was carried out by ethanol precipitation (50–80%), ACA44 gel filtration and Source 30Q anion exchange, respectively. The molecular mass of the inhibitor was 38 kDa as estimated via SDS-PAGE and gel filtration. Its carbohydrate content was up to 70%. β-Elimination revealed that the linkage between the glycan and the core protein backbone might be O-linkage. This inhibitor showed a remarkable heat stability. By investigating the interaction between this inhibitor and a variety of proteinases, it is indicated that the inhibitor was more specific against yeast proteinase A than other proteinases. The dissociation constants (Ki) and concentration required for 50% inhibition (IC50) for proteinase A were 2.7 × 10−6 M and 0.16 mg/ml, respectively.