Alterations in the chain dynamics of insoluble elastin upon proteolysis by serine elastases

The high temperature dielectric relaxations of purified and elastolized ligamentum nuchae elastin in the dry state have been investigated by thermally stimulated depolarization current spectrometry, with an equivalent frequency comprised between 10−2 and 10−3 Hz. A main relaxation mode, located close to 150°C and attributed to the dielectric manifestation of a glass transition, is found for all samples. After decomposition by the fractional polarization method, the analysis of the high temperature mode shows the existence of two relaxation mechanisms: a cooperative one, associated with flexible zones of the protein, and an isoenthalpic one, corresponding to more ordered and constrained zones. The activation parameters of the two mechanisms are dependent on the extent of elastolysis and on the nature of enzyme (pancreatic elastase vs leukocyte elastase). Both enzymes influence the dielectric behavior of elastin in a similar way: the activation enthalpy maximum of the relaxing units located in the flexible zones, characteristic of the cooperative length, decreases with increasing hydrolysis. Moreover, the isoenthalpic mechanism becomes cooperative at the highest extent of elastolysis, which highlights release of constraints in ordered zones. Nevertheless, the differences found between the two enzymatic hydrolyses are characteristic of distinct sites of cleavage in the elastin network. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopolymers 58: 175–185, 2001