title: The processing of a cathepsin L precursor in vitro.
abstract: Subcultured rat fibroblasts secreted a cathepsin L precursor when maintained for 24 h in serum-free medium containing 20 mM ammonium ions. The precursor was identified by immunoblotting after sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis using polyclonal antibodies to cathepsin L. The molecular mass of the precursor was found to be approximately 39 kDa, which confirms the result originally reported by Y. Nishimura et al. (1988, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 263, 107-116). Treatment of the precursor containing medium with cathepsin D at pH values ranging from 3.5 to 5.5 caused a limited cleavage of the precursor molecule. The resultant polypeptides are an unstable intermediate form with Mr 35,000 and a stable single chain form of cathepsin L showing a Mr about 32,500. The cathepsin D-mediated conversion was strongly accelerated by Hg2+ ions. A further proteolytic cleavage of the 32.5-kDa polypeptide has not been observed. The enzymatic activity toward Z-Phe-Arg-NHMec at pH 5.5 increased during the conversion, indicating that active cathepsin L was formed from an inactive precursor molecule.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Martin-Luther-University, Halle (Saale), German Democratic Republic.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wiederanders
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kirschke
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002402:Cathepsin D / Q000378:metabolism; D056668:Cathepsin L; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D010450:Endopeptidases; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship
chemical_list: D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D002403:Cathepsins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D056668:Cathepsin L; C534280:Ctsl protein, rat; D002402:Cathepsin D