title: Asparagine peptide lyases: a seventh catalytic type of proteolytic enzymes.
abstract: The terms "proteolytic enzyme" and "peptidase" have been treated as synonymous, and all proteolytic enzymes have been considered to be hydrolases (EC 3.4). However, the recent discovery of proteins that cleave themselves at asparagine residues indicates that not all peptide bond cleavage occurs by hydrolysis. These self-cleaving proteins include the Tsh protein precursor of Escherichia coli, in which the large C-terminal propeptide acts as an autotransporter; certain viral coat proteins; and proteins containing inteins. Proteolysis is the action of an amidine lyase (EC 4.3.2). These proteolytic enzymes are also the first in which the nucleophile is an asparagine, defining the seventh proteolytic catalytic type and the first to be discovered since 2004. We have assembled ten families based on sequence similarity in which cleavage is thought to be catalyzed by an asparagine.
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, United Kingdom. Electronic address: ndr@sanger.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Neil David
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Rawlings
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alan John
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Barrett
authors.affiliation: Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SA, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bateman
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D001216:Asparagine / Q000737:chemistry*; D001692:Biological Transport; D002384:Catalysis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D008190:Lyases / Q000737:chemistry*; D008958:Models, Molecular; D005810:Multigene Family; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary
chemical_list: D010455:Peptides; D001216:Asparagine; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D008190:Lyases