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Dual specificities of the glyoxysomal/peroxisomal processing protease Deg15 in higher plants.

ABSTRACT: Glyoxysomes are a subclass of peroxisomes involved in lipid mobilization. Two distinct peroxisomal targeting signals (PTSs), the C-terminal PTS1 and the N-terminal PTS2, are defined. Processing of the PTS2 on protein import is conserved in higher eukaryotes. The cleavage site typically contains a Cys at P1 or P2. We purified the glyoxysomal processing protease (GPP) from the fat-storing cotyledons of watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) by column chromatography, preparative native isoelectric focusing, and 2D PAGE. The GPP appears in two forms, a 72-kDa monomer and a 144-kDa dimer, which are in equilibrium with one another. The equilibrium is shifted on Ca(2+) removal toward the monomer and on Ca(2+) addition toward the dimer. The monomer is a general degrading protease and is activated by denatured proteins. The dimer constitutes the processing protease because the substrate specificity proven for the monomer (Phi-Arg/Lys downward arrow) is different from the processing substrate specificity (Cys-Xxx downward arrow/Xxx-Cys downward arrow) found with the mixture of monomer and dimer. The Arabidopsis genome analysis disclosed three proteases predicted to be in peroxisomes, a Deg-protease, a pitrilysin-like metallopeptidase, and a Lon-protease. Specific antibodies against the peroxisomal Deg-protease from Arabidopsis (Deg15) identify the watermelon GPP as a Deg15. A knockout mutation in the DEG15 gene of Arabidopsis (At1g28320) prevents processing of the glyoxysomal malate dehydrogenase precursor to the mature form. Thus, the GPP/Deg15 belongs to a group of trypsin-like serine proteases with Escherichia coli DegP as a prototype. Nevertheless, the GPP/Deg15 possesses specific characteristics and is therefore a new subgroup within the Deg proteases.

SUBMITTER: Helm M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2040927 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:The 3C-like protease (3CLpro) of nidovirus plays an important role in viral replication and manipulation of host antiviral innate immunity, which makes it an ideal antiviral target. Here, we characterized that porcine torovirus (PToV; family Tobaniviridae, order Nidovirales) 3CLpro autocatalytically releases itself from the viral precursor protein by self-cleavage. Site-directed mutagenesis suggested that PToV 3CLpro, as a serine protease, employed His53 and Ser160 as the active-site residues. Interestingly, unlike most nidovirus 3CLpro, the P1 residue plays a less essential role in N-terminal self-cleavage of PToV 3CLpro Substituting either P1 or P4 residue of substrate alone has little discernible effect on N-terminal cleavage. Notably, replacement of the two residues together completely blocks N-terminal cleavage, suggesting that N-terminal self-cleavage of PToV 3CLpro is synergistically affected by both P1 and P4 residues. Using a cyclized luciferase-based biosensor, we systematically scanned the polyproteins for cleavage sites and identified (FXXQ↓A/S) as the main consensus sequences. Subsequent homology modeling and biochemical experiments suggested that the protease formed putative pockets S1 and S4 between the substrate. Indeed, mutants of both predicted S1 (D159A, H174A) and S4 (P62G/L185G) pockets completely lost the ability of cleavage activity of PToV 3CLpro In conclusion, the characterization of self-processing activities and substrate specificities of PToV 3CLpro will offer helpful information for the mechanism of nidovirus 3C-like proteinase's substrate specificities and the rational development of the antinidovirus drugs.IMPORTANCE Currently, the active-site residues and substrate specificities of 3C-like protease (3CLpro) differ among nidoviruses, and the detailed catalytic mechanism remains largely unknown. Here, porcine torovirus (PToV) 3CLpro cleaves 12 sites in the polyproteins, including its N- and C-terminal self-processing sites. Unlike coronaviruses and arteriviruses, PToV 3CLpro employed His53 and Ser160 as the active-site residues that recognize a glutamine (Gln) at the P1 position. Surprisingly, mutations of P1-Gln impaired the C-terminal self-processing but did not affect N-terminal self-processing. The "noncanonical" substrate specificity for its N-terminal self-processing was attributed to the phenylalanine (Phe) residue at the P4 position in the N-terminal site. Furthermore, a double glycine (neutral) substitution at the putative P4-Phe-binding residues (P62G/L185G) abolished the cleavage activity of PToV 3CLpro suggested the potential hydrophobic force between the PToV 3CLpro and P4-Phe side chains.

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Dual specificities of the glyoxysomal/peroxisomal processing protease Deg15 in higher plants.

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