title: Structural and functional properties of Bos taurus tryptase: a search for a possible propeptide processing role.
abstract: Some structural features of bovine tryptase were discussed based on spectroscopic analysis. The far UV-CD spectrum of the enzymatically active bovine tryptase is consistent with a structure containing very little, if any alpha-helix, as found for other serine proteases. The analysis of near UV-CD and UV absorption spectra reveals the presence of a high number of Trp residues arranged probably in strong structural motifs. At variance with other tryptases, the bovine enzyme shows an electrophoretic behaviour in native and denaturating conditions compatible with an association state larger than a tetramer (probably a dodecamer). From a biochemical point of view, the bovine tryptase shares with the human counterpart, the preference for cleaving substrates bearing dibasic cleavage sites. Thus, it is hypothesized that tryptase may be involved in some proprotein processing mechanism(s).
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Medicine and Biochemical Sciences, University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy. Fiorucci@utovrm.it
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fiorucci
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pallaoro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erba
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Colombo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rholam
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ascoli
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites; D002417:Cattle; D053818:Chymases; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006728:Hormones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D053802:Tryptases
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C083294:chymase 2; D053818:Chymases; D053802:Tryptases