Astacin family metallopeptidases and serine peptidase inhibitors in spider digestive fluid.

ABSTRACT: Digestive fluid of the araneid spider Argiope aurantia is known to contain zinc metallopeptidases. Using anion-exchange chromatography, size-exclusion chromatography, sucrose density gradient centrifugation, and gel electrophoresis, we isolated two lower-molecular-mass peptidases, designated p16 and p18. The N-terminal amino acid sequences of p16 (37 residues) and p18 (20 residues) are 85% identical over the first 20 residues and are most similar to the N-terminal sequences of the fully active form of meprin (beta subunits) from several vertebrates (47-52% and 50-60% identical, respectively). Meprin is a peptidase in the astacin (M12A) subfamily of the astacin (M12) family. Additionally, a 66-residue internal sequence obtained from p16 aligns with the conserved astacin subfamily domain. Th

SUBMITTER: Foradori MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1484416 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature