Crystal structure of plant aspartic proteinase prophytepsin: inactivation and vacuolar targeting

EMBO J. 1999 Jul 15;18(14):3947-55. doi: 10.1093/emboj/18.14.3947.

Abstract

We determined at 2.3 A resolution the crystal structure of prophytepsin, a zymogen of a barley vacuolar aspartic proteinase. In addition to the classical pepsin-like bilobal main body of phytepsin, we also traced most of the propeptide, as well as an independent plant-specific domain, never before described in structural terms. The structure revealed that, in addition to the propeptide, 13 N-terminal residues of the mature phytepsin are essential for inactivation of the enzyme. Comparison of the plant-specific domain with NK-lysin indicates that these two saposin-like structures are closely related, suggesting that all saposins and saposin-like domains share a common topology. Structural analysis of prophytepsin led to the identification of a putative membrane receptor-binding site involved in Golgi-mediated transport to vacuoles.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / chemistry*
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Biological Transport
  • Cathepsins / chemistry*
  • Cathepsins / metabolism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Disulfides / chemistry
  • Electrons
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Enzyme Precursors / chemistry*
  • Enzyme Precursors / metabolism
  • Glycoproteins / chemistry
  • Golgi Apparatus / metabolism
  • Hordeum / cytology
  • Hordeum / enzymology*
  • Hordeum / metabolism
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • Proteolipids / chemistry
  • Pulmonary Surfactants / chemistry
  • Receptors, Cell Surface / metabolism
  • Saposins
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Vacuoles / enzymology*

Substances

  • Disulfides
  • Enzyme Precursors
  • Glycoproteins
  • NK-lysin
  • Proteolipids
  • Pulmonary Surfactants
  • Receptors, Cell Surface
  • Saposins
  • Cathepsins
  • Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases
  • phytepsin