Chymase from human mast cells selectively cleaved big endothelins (ETs) at the Tyr31-Gly32 bond and produced novel trachea-constricting 31-amino acid-length endothelins, ETs(1-31), without any further degradation products. Chymases from other species, such as the enzymes from rat connective tissue and mucosal mast cells, and the other chymotrypsin-like proteases examined degraded big ETs. ETs(1-31) exhibited various contractile potencies as to the rat trachea in comparison with 21-amino acid-length endothelins, ETs(1-21), and big ETs: ET-1(1-21) > ET-1(1-31) > big ET-1; ET-2(1-31) > ET-2(1-21) > or = big ET-2; ET-3(1-21) > or = ET-3(1-31) > or = big ET-3. Among the ETs(1-31), ET-2(1-31) was the most potent constrictor, its potency being similar to that of ET-1(1-21) and stronger than that of ET-2(1-21). The contractile activity of ETs(1-31) may not be the consequence of conversion to the corresponding ETs(1-21) by phosphoramidon-sensitive ET-converting enzymes or other chymotrypsin-type proteases and metalloendopeptidases, because the contractile activity was not inhibited significantly on treatment with inhibitors of these proteases before the addition of ET-1(1-31). Inhibitors of chymotrypsin-type serine proteases, on the contrary, significantly enhanced the contractile activity exhibited by ET-1(1-31) and big ET-1, but not that by ET-1(1-21). These results suggest that protease(s) on the surface of the rat trachea tends to degrade ETs(1-31) and big ETs, and thereby reduces their contractile activity. Taken together, the results suggest that trachea-constricting ETs(1-31) generated by human chymase may play a role in the hyper-responsive airway in allergic inflammation.