title: Role of the C-terminal fragment of human transthyretin in abnormal fibrillogenesis.
abstract: Polypeptide chain fragments of recombinant transthyretin (TTR) with leucine-55 substituted by proline (L55P), which are involved in abnormal fibrillogenesis of this protein, were studied. No fibrils were produced in purified preparations of TTR(L55P) under the optimum conditions for fibrillogenesis but in absence of protease inhibitors. The ability of TTR for fibrillogenesis was lost because of a limited proteolysis resulting in detachment of the TTR polypeptide chain C-terminal fragment of approximately 18 amino acid residues in length. This proteolysis seemed to occur with involvement of a bacterial serine endopeptidase sohB (EC 3.4.21), which was identified in TTR preparations by the MALDI-TOF method. The presence of the C-terminal fragment of the TTR polypeptide chain seems to be crucial for production of abnormal fibrils.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia. kak-nikak@mail.ru
authors.forename: K V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Solovyov
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Gasteva
authors.forename: V V
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: Egorov
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Aleinikova
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Sirotkin
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Shvartsman
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Shavlovsky
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution / Q000235:genetics; D000682:Amyloid / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D007930:Leucine / Q000235:genetics; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D011228:Prealbumin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011392:Proline / Q000235:genetics; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011485:Protein Binding; D020836:Protein Structure, Quaternary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization
chemical_list: D000682:Amyloid; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011228:Prealbumin; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D011392:Proline; D007930:Leucine