title: Specificity of a cysteine proteinase of Entamoeba histolytica against various unblocked synthetic peptides.
abstract: The activity of highly purified cysteine proteinase of Entamoeba histolytica against different peptides of the sequence X-Gly-Phe-Phe was compared. The synthetic peptide Arg-Gly-Phe-Phe of the insulin B-chain was readily hydrolyzed yielding Arg-Gly and Phe-Phe as split products. Lys-Gly-Phe-Phe and Tyr-Gly-Phe-Phe were cleaved at rates of 20 and 4%, respectively. Val-Gly-Phe-Phe, Gly-Gly-Phe-Phe, Glu-Gly-Phe-Phe, and Ser-Gly-Phe-Phe were hydrolyzed at rates far below 1%. Gly-Arg-Phe-Phe, Gly-Phe-Phe, and Gly-Phe were completely resistant to the enzyme. Another good substrate was found in Arg-Gly-Leu-Hyp, which represents a model compound of a scissile site in collagen type I. Furthermore, peptide Arg-Arg-Phe-Phe was attacked by the enzyme releasing Arg-Arg and Phe-Phe. Compared with Arg-Gly-Phe-Phe at substrate concentrations of 2 mM the rates of hydrolysis of Arg-Arg-Phe-Phe and Arg-Gly-Leu-Hyp were 37 and 127%. The enzyme exhibited dipeptidyl peptidase activity against the nonapeptide Arg-Gly-Phe-Phe-Tyr-Thr-Pro-Lys-Ala releasing Arg-Gly.
authors.affiliation: Fachbereich Biologie/Chemie der Universität Osnabrück, Abteilung Biochemie, F.R.G.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Otte
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Werries
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004748:Entamoeba histolytica / Q000201:enzymology*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases