Heterogeneity of polyvalent proteinase-inhibitors from certain snails demonstrated by fibrin-agar-electrophoresis.

Saline extracts of the albumin gland of snails from the genus Helix, Cepaea and Achatina show a remarkable capacity for inhibiting several serine-proteinases of animal, plant and bacterial origin. By the use of fibrin-agar-electrophoresis and fibrin-agar-immunelectrophoresis four polyvalent proteinase-iso-inhibitors could be separated, two of them probably directed against the active center of the enzymes. One of the inhibitory proteins may be identical or closely related to the agglutiriin anti-A found in the same gland. The importance of these pro tease-inhibit ing and bacterial agglutinating principles for the snails and their eggs is briefly discussed. The possibility of their therapeutic application in man is considered.