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PubMed1992

Structural similarity of D-aminopeptidase to carboxypeptidase DD and beta-lactamases.

The gene for D-aminopeptidase (dap) has been isolated from the bacterium Ochrobactrum anthropi SCRC C1-38 [Asano, Y., Nakazawa, A., Kato, Y., & Kondo, K. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14233-14239] and its nucleotide sequence determined. An expression plasmid pC138DP (4.5 kb) was constructed by placing the gene downstream of the lac promoter of pUC19. The amount of the enzyme in the cell-free extract of Escherichia coli JM109/pC138DP was elevated to 288,000 units/L of culture, which is about 3600-fold over that of O. anthropi SCRC C1-38. The enzyme comprised about 30% of the total extractable cellular protein. The gene consisted of an open reading frame of 1560 nucleotides which specifies a protein of Mr 57,257. The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme showed that it is related to carboxypeptidase DD, beta-lactamases, and penicillin-binding proteins. Seven mutants of the enzyme were generated by site-specific mutagenesis to explore the roles of the residues of interest, around the sequence Ser61-Xaa-Xaa-Lys64, where Xaa is any amino acid, since the identical sequences also appear in the penicillin-recognizing peptide hydrolases with Ser at the active sites. The mutant enzymes expressed in E. coli were purified to homogeneity and kinetically characterized. Replacements of the site at Ser61 and Lys64 yielded mutants showing significantly reduced Vmax values, while most of the Km values remained unchanged. Changes at Cys60, which is adjacent to the likely active center Ser61, to Ser and Gly resulted in the production of enzyme less sensitive to PCMB, with almost unaltered Vmax/Km values. The enzyme appears to be a serine peptidase rather than a thiol one. The inhibition by PCMB in the wild-type enzyme may have been caused by a formation of a mercaptide bond between Cys 60 and PCMB. Considering that D-aminopeptidase, carboxypeptidase DD (a penicillin-binding protein), and beta-lactamase have a common feature in recognizing peptides containing D-amino acid and that the former two catalyze transpeptidation reactions with substrates containing D-alanyl-D-alanine moieties, we propose that the enzyme is a new member of the "penicillin-recognizing enzymes". We showed that the enzyme is actually inhibited by beta-lactam compounds, such as 6-APA, 7-ACA, benzylpenicillin, and ampicillin, although they are not the substrate for the enzyme. The relationship between the primary structures and the reactions catalyzed by D-aminopeptidase and other serine hydrolases beta-lactamases and carboxypeptidase DD is discussed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Alcaligenes↗

PubMed1994

Site-directed mutagenesis on (serine) carboxypeptidase Y. A hydrogen bond network stabilizes the transition state by interaction with the C-terminal carboxylate group of the substrate.

The three-dimensional structure of (serine) carboxypeptidase Y suggests that the side chains of Trp49, Asn51, Glu65, and Glu145 could be involved in the recognition of the C-terminal carboxylate group of peptide substrates. The mutations Trp49-->Phe; Asn51-->Ala, Asp, Glu, Gln, Ser, or Thr; Glu65-->Ala; and Glu145-->Ala, Asp, Asn, Gln, or Ser have been performed. Enzymes with Ala at these positions were also produced as double and triple mutations. These mutations have only little effect on the esterase activity of the enzyme, consistent with the absence of a hydrogen bond acceptor in the P1' position of such substrates. On the other hand, removal of the hydrogen-bonding capacity by incorporation of Ala at any of these four positions results in reduced peptidase activity, in particular when Asn51 and Glu145 are replaced. The results are consistent with Trp49 and Glu65 orienting Asn51 and Glu145 by hydrogen bonds, such that these can function as hydrogen bond donors (Glu145 only in its protonated carboxylic acid form) with the C-terminal alpha-carboxylate group of the peptide substrate as acceptor. However, it appears that strong interactions are formed only in the transition state since the combined removal of Asn51 and Glu145 reduces kcat about 100-fold and leaves KM practically unchanged. The results obtained with enzymes in which Asn51 or Glu145 has been replaced with other residues possessing the capacity to donate a hydrogen bond demonstrate that there is no flexibility with respect to the nature of the hydrogen bond donor at position 145, whereas enzymes with Gln, Ser, or Thr at position 51 exhibit much higher activity than N51A, although none of them reaches the wild-type level. With carboxypeptidase Y as well as other serine carboxypeptidases the binding of peptide substrates in the ground state (KM) is adversely affected by an increase in pH. It is shown that deprotonation of a single ionizable group with a pKa of 4.3 on the enzyme is responsible for this pH effect. The results show that the group involved is either Glu65 or Glu145, the latter being the more probable. The effect of this ionization on KM is explained by charge repulsion between the carboxylate group of the substrate and that of Glu145, hence preventing substrate from binding.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1987

Three-dimensional structure of potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor in solution. A study using nuclear magnetic resonance, distance geometry, and restrained molecular dynamics.

The solution conformation of potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor (CPI) has been investigated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The spectrum is assigned in a sequential manner by using two-dimensional NMR techniques to identify through-bond and through-space (less than 5 A) connectivities. A set of 309 approximate interproton distance restraints is derived from the two-dimensional nuclear Overhauser enhancement spectra and used as the basis of a three-dimensional structure determination by a combination of metric matrix distance geometry and restrained molecular dynamics calculations. A total of 11 converged distance geometry structures were computed and refined by using restrained molecular dynamics. The average atomic root mean square (rms) difference between the final 11 structures and the mean structure obtained by averaging their coordinates is 1.4 +/- 0.3 A for residues 2-39 and 0.9 +/- 0.2 A for residues 5-37. The corresponding values for all atoms are 1.9 +/- 0.3 and 1.4 +/- 0.2 A, respectively. The larger values for residues 2-38 relative to those for residues 5-37 arise from the fact that the positions of the N- (residues 1-4) and C- (residues 38-39) terminal tails are rather poorly determined, whereas those of the core of the protein (residues 5-37) are well determined by the experimental interproton distance data. The computed structures are very close to the X-ray structure of CPI in its complex with carboxypeptidase, and the backbone atomic rms difference between the mean of the computed structures and the X-ray structure is only 1.2 A. Nevertheless, there are some real differences present which are evidenced by significant deviations between the experimental upper interproton distance limits and the corresponding interproton distances derived from the X-ray structure. These principally occur in two regions, residues 18-20 and residues 28-30, the latter comprising part of the region of secondary contacts between CPI and carboxypeptidase in the X-ray structure.

Carboxypeptidases↗

PubMed1979

Single-step isolation and resolution of pancreatic carboxypeptidases A and B.

Carboxypeptidases A and B have been isolated individually from aqueous extracts of mammalian pancreatic acetone powders by affinity chromatography on [N-(epsilon-aminocaproyl)-p-aminobenzyl]succinyl-Sepharose 4B (CABS-Sepharose). The affinity ligand was synthesized from DL-benzylsuccinic acid, purified, and characterized by UV absorption and NMR spectroscopy. Both enzymes from the various species were homogeneous by NaDodSO4-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and displayed high specific activities. No cross contamination of one enzyme species with the other was found. The ease of synthesis of the ligand from its commercially available precursor, its stability, and the mild elution conditions render CABS-Sepharose an excellent affinity support for the single-column isolation of both carboxypeptidases A and B. The procedures extend the utility of this resin previously demonstrated for carboxypeptidase A from human pancreatic juice [Peterson, L. M., Sokolovsky, M., & Vallee, B. L. (1976) Biochemistry, 15, 2501]. The use of CABS-Sepharose as a general affinity matrix for the isolation of metallocarboxypeptidases is suggested.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

Reaction of yeast carboxypeptidase C1 with group-specific reagents.

The reactions between yeast carboxypeptidase C and the group-specific reagents, phenylglyoxal and iodoacetamide, have been studied in detail and the reactions of residue at the active site with N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone and diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate have been confirmed. Modification of the enzyme by either phenylglyoxal or iodoacetamide results in the loss of peptidase activity, while esterase activity remains unchanged. Inactivation by phenylglyoxal appears to be the result of the modification of a single arginine residue, whereas inhibition by iodoacetamide can be correlated with the modification of a single methionine residue. Inactivation of the enzyme by either N-tosyl-L-phenylalanine chloromethyl ketone or diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate is the result of the modification of a single histidine and a single serine residue, respectively. The pattern of inhibition indicates certain analogies in the mechanism of yeast carboxypeptidase C to pancreatic chymotrypsin, on the one hand, and to carboxypeptidase A, on the other.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Crystal structure of Kex1deltap, a prohormone-processing carboxypeptidase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae,.

Kex1p is a prohormone-processing serine carboxypeptidase found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In contrast to yeast serine carboxypeptidase (CPD-Y) and wheat serine carboxypeptidase II (CPDW-II), Kex1p displays a very narrow specificity for lysyl or arginyl residues at the C-terminus of the substrate. The structure of Kex1Deltap, an enzyme that lacks the acidic domain and membrane-spanning portion of Kex1p, has been solved by a combination of molecular replacement and multiple isomorphous replacement and refined to a resolution of 2.4 A. The S1' site of Kex1Deltap is sterically restricted compared to those from CPD-Y or CPDW-II; it also contains two acidic groups that are well positioned to interact with the basic group of a lysine or arginine side chain. The high specificity of Kex1p can therefore be explained by a combination of steric and electronic factors. The structure of the S1 site of Kex1Deltap is also well suited for binding of a lysine or arginine side chain, and the enzyme may therefore exhibit a preference for these residues at P1.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1997

The association of tubulin carboxypeptidase activity with microtubules in brain extracts is modulated by phosphorylation/dephosphorylation processes.

Tubulin carboxypeptidase, the enzyme which releases the COOH terminal tyrosine from the alpha-chain of tubulin, remains associated with microtubules through several cycles of assembly/disassembly (Arce CA, Barra HS: FEBS Lett 157: 75-78, 1983). Here, we present evidence indicating that in rat brain extract the carboxypeptidase/microtubules association is regulated by the relative activities of endogenous protein kinase(s) and phosphatase(s) which seem to determine the phosphorylation state of the enzyme (or another entity) and in some way the affinity of the enzyme for microtubules. The presence of 2.5 mM ATP during the in vitro microtubule formation resulted in a low recovery of carboxypeptidase activity in the microtubule fraction. This ATP-induced effect was not due to alteration of the enzyme activity or to inhibition of microtubule assembly but to a decrease of the association of the enzyme with microtubules. We found that the ATP-induced effect was not mediated by modifications on the microtubules but, presumably, on the enzyme molecule. The non-hydrolyzable ATP analogue, AMP-PCP, did not reproduce the effect of ATP. The inclusion of phosphatase inhibitors in the homogenization buffer also led to a decrease in the amount of tubulin carboxypeptidase associated with microtubules. Finally, we found that, in concordance with the mechanism hypothesized, the magnitude of the carboxypeptidase/microtubule association correlated well with the different incubation conditions created to favor maximal, minimal or intermediate protein phosphorylation states.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2003

A serine carboxypeptidase gene (PsCP), expressed in early steps of reproductive and vegetative development in Pisum sativum, is induced by gibberellins.

A cDNA clone encoding a serine carboxypeptidase (PsCP), isolated from young fruits of Pisum sativum L., was used to study the temporal and spatial expression and hormonal regulation of serine carboxypeptidase during reproductive and vegetative development. In unpollinated pea ovaries PsCP transcript levels decreased during senescence. However, during early fruit development, PsCP transcript were accumulated in both pericarp and seeds, preferentially in the nucellus, with a polar distribution at the chalazal region of the embryo sac, suggesting a role in seed development. PsCP transcript levels increased also when fruit set was induced in unpollinated ovaries by gibberellins, although the distribution was uniform. PsCP expression was also induced by auxins but not cytokinins, indicating a selective hormonal regulation of PsCP transcription. Localization of PsCP transcript after pollination parallel reported changes in gibberellin distribution, suggesting that PsCP transcription in developing fruits and seeds is induced by gibberellins. PsCP is also expressed in developing seedlings but not in cotyledons, suggesting that it is not involved in the mobilization of storage materials. PsCP transcripts were suppressed by treatment of seedlings with paclobutrazol and restored by gibberellic acid (GA3) treatment. In addition, PsCP transcript levels decreased in etiolated pea seedlings when they were exposed to continuous light but not when exposed to light in the presence of GA3. These results indicate that PsCP transcript accumulation is induced by gibberellins in developing seedlings. This is the first report of a serine carboxypeptidase-like gene induced by gibberellins in reproductive and vegetative developing tissues in dicotyledoneous plants.

Blotting, Northern↗

PubMed2003

Identification of gp17 glycoprotein and characterization of prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) and carboxypeptidase E (CPE) fragments in a human seminal plasma fraction interacting with concanavalin A.

The decapacitating fraction of human seminal plasma, which strongly interacts with concanavalin A, is constituted by high mannose-type N-linked glycoproteins, most of them of less than 44 kDa. Each component with apparent molecular mass of 30, 18, and 17 kDa respectively, as judged by SDS-PAGE, was submitted to "in gel" digestion with trypsin followed by HPLC separation of the peptides and sequencing. They were characterized at microscale as gp17, an aspartyl protease that possibly contributes to liquefaction of the seminal plasma coagulum, two fragments of human acid phosphatase (17 and 30 kDa, respectively), and a 17-kDa fragment of carboxypeptidase E. Neither the fragments of prostatic acid phosphatase nor that of carboxypeptidase E had been described before in the human seminal fluid. Very weak bands, of apparent molecular masses 44 and 52 kDa, are consistent with presence of small amounts of parent compounds, prostatic acid phosphatase and carboxypeptidase E.

Acid Phosphatase↗

PubMed2001

Carboxypeptidase R is an inactivator of complement-derived inflammatory peptides and an inhibitor of fibrinolysis.

Carboxypeptidase R (CPR) exists in precursor form (proCPR) in plasma in contrast to carboxypeptidase N (CPN), which is present in the active state. CPR plays two important roles, one of which appears to be the control of the inflammatory response by inactivation of anaphylatoxins such as complement-derived C3a and C5a. Therefore, an increase in CPR activity may facilitate rapid inactivation of these inflammatory mediators generated at the site of bacterial infection. Upregulation of proCPR expression during the inflammatory response initiated for instance by endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) should play a role in suppressing hyper-reactivity as seen in septic shock. CPR also functions as an inhibitor of fibrinolysis, where its ability to prevent binding of plasminogen to lysine residues on fibrin clots significantly lengthens tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-induced fibrinolysis time. Therefore, upregulation of proCPR production during the inflammatory response may exacerbate thrombosis contributing to the development of disseminated intravascular coagulation as well as other conditions involving thrombosis. Co-administration of tPA and a specific inhibitor of CPR, such as potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor, which does not affect CPN, may be useful in thrombolytic therapy.

Anaphylatoxins↗

PubMed1980

Mechanistic studies of carboxypeptidase Y from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. pH and pD profiles and inactivation at low pH (pD) values.

Steady-state kinetics of carboxypeptidase Y, a proteinase from yeast, were studied by using the reaction of 4-nitrophenyl trimethylacetate as a probe. The pH profile of kcat. is sigmoidal in H2O-based buffers for the carboxypeptidase Y-catalysed hydrolysis of this ester (kcat. referring to the rate of deacylation of trimethylacetyl-carboxypeptidase Y). The corresponding pD profile in 2H2O is doubly sigmoidal, with inflexions at pD approximately 3.8 and approximately 6.8. The ionization of pKDapp. approximately 3.8 is caused by a rapid inactivation in 2H2O media by a process that is only slowly reversed on transfer to pH 7.00 phosphate buffer in H2O. The corresponding inactivation in H2O-based buffers of low pH is considerably slower (approximately 30-fold), follows a first-order rate-dependence and is very strongly pH-dependent, indicating some form of co-operative change in enzyme tertiary structure.

Carboxypeptidases↗

PubMed2005

Structural basis of the resistance of an insect carboxypeptidase to plant protease inhibitors.

Corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea), also called tomato fruitworm, is a common pest of many Solanaceous plants. This insect is known to adapt to the ingestion of plant serine protease inhibitors by using digestive proteases that are insensitive to inhibition. We have now identified a B-type carboxypeptidase of H. zea (CPBHz) insensitive to potato carboxypeptidase inhibitor (PCI) in corn earworm. To elucidate the structural features leading to the adaptation of the insect enzyme, the crystal structure of the recombinant CPBHz protein was determined by x-ray diffraction. CPBHz is a member of the A/B subfamily of metallocarboxypeptidases, which displays the characteristic metallocarboxypeptidase alpha/beta-hydrolase fold, and does not differ essentially from the previously described Helicoverpa armigera CPA, which is very sensitive to PCI. The data provide structural insight into several functional properties of CPBHz. The high selectivity shown by CPBHz for C-terminal lysine residues is due to residue changes in the S1' substrate specificity pocket that render it unable to accommodate the side chain of an arginine. The insensitivity of CPBHz to plant inhibitors is explained by the exceptional positioning of two of the main regions that stabilize other carboxypeptidase-PCI complexes, the beta8-alpha9 loop, and alpha7 together with the alpha7-alpha8 loop. The rearrangement of these two regions leads to a displacement of the active-site entrance that impairs the proper interaction with PCI. This report explains a crystal structure of an insect protease and its adaptation to defensive plant protease inhibitors.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1971

Differences between the conformation of arsanilazotyrosine 248 of carboxypeptidase A in the crystalline state and in solution.

Coupling of carboxypeptidase A crystals with diazotized arsanilic acid specifically labels tyrosine 248, an active-site residue of the enzyme. Many azophenols are yellow and their zinc complexes are red; the "yellow" absorption spectrum of zinc arsanilazocarboxypeptidase crystals is characteristic of the arsanilazotyrosyl group, not of the zinc complex. This is consistent with the interpretation of x-ray data on native crystals of carboxypeptidase A, indicating that tyrosine 248 and the zinc atom are too far apart to form a complex. However, the enzyme in solution is red, denoting the formation of a complex between zinc and arsanilazotyrosine 248. The most likely interpretation of the data is that the orientation of arsanilazotyrosine 248 in solution and in the crystal is different. If the unlabeled tyrosine 248 of native carboxypeptidase undergoes similar changes, these data may bear upon the low activity of the enzyme in the crystalline state and on the catalytic mechanism of the enzyme based on the crystal structure. The opportunities for analogous spectrochemical studies of other, similar systems are pointed out.

Arsenicals↗

PubMed1980

Structure of potato inhibitor complex of carboxypeptidase A at 5.5-A resolution.

The complex of the 39-amino inhibitor (potato) of bovine carboxypeptidase A (carboxypeptidase; peptidyl-L-amino-acid hydrolase, EC 3.4.12.2) was crystallized in space group P32. There are two protein-inhibitor complexes in the asymmetric unit. These crystals exhibited pseudo-P3221 symmetry due to twinning about the a3 axis. Heavy atom difference Patterson maps and rotation functions indicated, however, that the noncrystallographic twofold axis that relates these two complexes is nearly coincident with the a3 axis. Consequently, to a good approximation at low resolution, the space group of the complex is P3221 and the effects of twinning may be ignored. The structure was solved by using multiple isomorphous replacement and molecular replacement techniques. At 5.5-A resolution, the multiple isomorphous replacement map was readily interpretable in terms of the known native carboxypeptidase A structure plus extra density around the active site. The position of this extra density is consistent with the binding mode for extended substrate proposed from earlier model building studies with the native enzyme (Lipscomb, W.N., Hartsuck, J.A., Reeke, G.N., Quiocho, F.A. Bethge, P.H., Ludwig, M.L., Steitz, T.A., Muirhead, H. & Coppola, J.C. (1968) Brookhaven Symp. Biol. 21, 24-90).

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Structure of the potato inhibitor complex of carboxypeptidase A at 2.5-A resolution.

The structure of the complex between the proteolytic enzyme carboxypeptidase A (peptidyl-L-amino-acid hydrolase, EC 3.4.17.1) and the 39-amino-acid carboxypeptidase A inhibitor from potatoes has been determined at 2.5-A resolution. A combination of multiple isomorphous replacement, molecular replacement, and noncrystallographic symmetry averaging techniques was used to solve the structure. The chain trace of the inhibitor and details of the binding interactions in the complex are described. A surprising aspect of the complex is that the carboxy-terminal peptide bond of the inhibitor has been hydrolyzed, and the carboxy-terminal glycine is trapped in the binding pocket of carboxypeptidase A. Consequently, the complex resembles a stage in the catalytic mechanism after hydrolysis of the peptide bond. The ring of tyrosine-248, which is known to undergo large conformational changes upon substrate binding, is in the "down" position and interacts with the inhibitor in the complex.

Binding Sites↗

PubMed1990

Altering enzymatic activity: recruitment of carboxypeptidase activity into an RTEM beta-lactamase/penicillin-binding protein 5 chimera.

The D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidases/transpeptidases (penicillin-binding proteins, PBPs) share considerable structural homology with class A beta-lactamases (EC 3.5.2.6), although these beta-lactamases have no observable D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidase activity. With the objective of recruiting such activity into a beta-lactamase background, we have prepared a chimeric protein by inserting a 28-amino acid segment of PBP-5 of Escherichia coli in place of the corresponding region of the RTEM-1 beta-lactamase. The segment thus inserted encompasses two residues conserved in both families: Ser-70, which forms the acyl-enzyme intermediate during beta-lactam hydrolysis, and Lys-73, whose presence has been shown to be necessary for catalysis. This chimera involves changes of 18 residues and gives a protein that differs at 7% of the residues from the parent. Whereas RTEM beta-lactamase has no D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidase activity, that of the chimera is significant and is, in fact, about 1% the activity of PBP-5 on diacetyl-L-Lys-D-Ala-D-Ala; in terms of free energy of activation, the chimera stabilizes the transition state for the reaction to within about 2.7 kcal/mol of the stabilization achieved by PBP-5. Furthermore, the chimera catalyzes hydrolysis exclusively at the carboxyl-terminal amide bond which is the site of cleavage by D-Ala-D-Ala carboxypeptidase. Though containing all those residues that are conserved throughout class A beta-lactamases and are thought to be essential for beta-lactamase activity, the chimera has considerably reduced activity (approximately 10(-5) on penams such as penicillins and ampicillins as substrates. As a catalyst, the chimera shows an induction period of approximately 30 min, reflecting a slow conformational rearrangement from an inactive precursor to the active enzyme.

Alanine↗

PubMed1991

An extraovarian protein accumulated in mosquito oocytes is a carboxypeptidase activated in embryos.

We report a phenomenon previously unknown for oviparous animals; in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes a serine carboxypeptidase is synthesized extraovarially and then internalized by oocytes. The cDNA encoding mosquito vitellogenic carboxypeptidase (VCP) was cloned and sequenced. The VCP cDNA hybridizes to a 1.5-kilobase mRNA present only in the fat body of vitellogenic females. The deduced amino acid sequence of VCP shares significant homology with members of the serine carboxypeptidase family. Binding assays using a serine protease inhibitor, [3H]diisopropyl fluorophosphate, showed that VCP is activated in eggs at the onset of embryonic development. Activation of VCP is associated with the reduction in its size from 53 kDa (inactive proenzyme) to 48 kDa (active enzyme). The active, 48-kDa, form of VCP is maximally present at the middle of embryonic development and disappears by the end.

Aedes↗

PubMed1998

Prodynorphin processing by proprotein convertase 2. Cleavage at single basic residues and enhanced processing in the presence of carboxypeptidase activity.

Endoproteolytic processing of the 26-kDa protein precursor prodynorphin (proDyn) at paired and single basic residues is most likely carried out by the proprotein convertases (PCs); however, the role of PCs at single basic residues is unclear. In previous studies we showed that limited proDyn processing by PC1/PC3 at both paired and single basic residues resulted in the formation of 8- and 10-kDa intermediates. Because PC2 is colocalized with proDyn, we examined the potential role of this convertase in cleaving proDyn. PC2 cleaved proDyn to produce dynorphin (Dyn) A 1-17, Dyn B 1-13, and alpha-neo-endorphin, without a previous requirement for PC1/PC3. PC2 also cleaved at single basic residues, resulting in the formation of the C-peptide and Dyn A 1-8. Only PC2, but not furin or PC1/PC3, could cleave the Arg-Pro bond to yield Dyn 1-8. Structure-activity studies with Dyn A 1-17 showed that a P4 Arg residue is important for single basic cleavage by PC2 and that the P1' Pro residue impedes processing. Conversion of Dyn A 1-17 or Dyn B 1-13 into leucine-enkephalin (Leu-Enk) by PC2 was never observed; however, Dyn AB 1-32 cleavage yielded small amounts of Leu-Enk, suggesting that Leu-Enk can be generated from the proDyn precursor only through a specific pathway. Finally, PC2 cleavages at single and paired basic residues were enhanced when carried out in the presence of carboxypeptidase (CP) E. Enhancement was blocked by GEMSA, a specific inhibitor of CPE activity, and could be duplicated by other carboxypeptidases, including CPD, CPB, or CPM. Our data suggest that carboxypeptidase activity enhances PC2 processing by the elimination of product inhibition caused by basic residue-extended peptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗