title: An acidic amino acid-specific protease from germinating soybeans.
abstract: The degradation of the beta-conglycinin protein reserves in soybean seeds during germination and early growth begins with the proteolysis of its alpha and alpha' subunits by an enzyme called Protease C1. In the pathway, a number of proteolytic intermediates are produced and subsequently degraded. Determination of the N-terminal sequences of these intermediates provides insight regarding the requirements of the cleavage sites. The N-terminal sequence of three such proteolytic intermediates has been determined. The sequence has been located in the published sequences of the beta-conglycinin subunits. Comparing these cleavage sites, plus those of two others previously delineated, shows that the P1' and P4' positions always bear either a Glu or an Asp residue while the P1 position always bears either a Glu or a Gln residue. In addition, other sites from P3 to P7' are also rich in either Glu or Asp, and the whole region is predicted to be in a alpha-helix. Consistent with the observation, synthetic poly-L-Glu inhibits the Protease C1-catalysed degradation of the alpha and alpha' subunits of beta-conglycinin. Poly-L-Glu (av. M(r) = 1000) at 12.5 mM was more effective at inhibiting the reaction than poly-L-Glu (av. M(r) = 600) or poly-L-Glu (av. M(r) = 14,300) at the same concentration. Comparing large synthetic polypeptides at 12.5mM, inhibition by poly-L-Asp (av. M(r) = 15,000) is as effective as poly-L-Glu (av. M(r) = 14,300), while poly-L-Ser (av. M(r) = 15,000) had no effect at all. Poly-D-Glu (av. M(r) = 15,000) is a better inhibitor than poly-L-Glu of the same size. A serine protease of similar molecular weight as Protease C1 and also capable of catalysing the proteolysis of the alpha and alpha' subunits of beta-conglycinin to generate proteolytic intermediates of the same size has been found in mung bean.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, State University of New York at Binghamton 13902-6000, USA.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Tan-Wilson
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D018525:Germination; D005916:Globulins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D012639:Seeds; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D013025:Glycine max / Q000201:enzymology*; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D052179:Antigens, Plant; D005916:Globulins; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D055314:Seed Storage Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; C013894:beta-conglycinin protein, Glycine max; D010450:Endopeptidases; C100499:protease C1