title: Proinsulin processing by the subtilisin-related proprotein convertases furin, PC2, and PC3.
abstract: Experiments using recombinant vaccinia viruses expressing rat proinsulin I coinfected into COS-7 cells with recombinant vaccinia virus expressing human furin, human PC2, mouse PC3 (subtilisin-related proprotein convertases 1-3, respectively), or yeast Kex2 indicate that in this system both Kex2 and furin produce mature insulin, whereas PC2 selectively cleaves proinsulin at the C-peptide-A-chain junction. This is a property consistent with its probable identity with the rat insulinoma granule type II proinsulin processing activity as described by Davidson et al. [Davidson, H. W., Rhodes, C. J. & Hutton, J. C. (1988) Nature (London) 333, 93-96]. PC3 generates mature insulin but cleaves preferentially at the proinsulin B-chain-C-peptide junction. This pattern of cleavage by PC3 is similar, but not identical, to that of the highly B-chain-C-peptide junction-selective type I activity as described by Davidson et al., perhaps due to the presence of a P4 arginine residue near the C-peptide-A-chain junction unique to the rat proinsulins. These results along with data presented on the expression of both PC2 and PC3 in islet beta cells strongly support the conclusion that these proteases are involved in the conversion of proinsulin to insulin in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Biochemistry, University of Chicago, IL 60637.
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Smeekens
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Montag
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albiges-Rizo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Carroll
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benig
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohagi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gardner
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D045683:Furin; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007340:Insulinoma / Q000201:enzymology; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000201:enzymology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011384:Proinsulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D045706:Proprotein Convertase 2; D043484:Proprotein Convertases; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D051381:Rats; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D013381:Subtilisins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011384:Proinsulin; D043484:Proprotein Convertases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D013381:Subtilisins; D045683:Furin; D045706:Proprotein Convertase 2