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Processing of Kex2 pro‐region at two interchangeable cleavage sites
Author(s) -
Germain Doris,
Thomas David Y.,
Boileau Guy
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(93)81463-a
Subject(s) - cleavage (geology) , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , fracture (geology) , paleontology
In Saccharomyces cerevisiae , the Kex2 endoprotease (Kex2p) is required for the proteolytic maturation of α‐pheromone and also for the removal of its own pro‐region. Kex2p is specific for pairs of basic amino acid residues. Two putative processing sites are present in the pro‐region of Kexlp. We have expressed processing site mutants of Kex2p and assayed the production of active Kex2p. Mutations affecting either putative cleavage site do not alter the activity. However, mutations affecting both sites led to a reduction in both Kex2 activity and the amount of protein. These results suggest that removal of Kex2p pro‐peptide is required for the production of a stable enzyme and can occur at either processing site.