Papain-like cysteine proteases prepare plant cyclic peptide precursors for cyclization.

ABSTRACT: Cyclotides are plant defense peptides that have been extensively investigated for pharmaceutical and agricultural applications, but key details of their posttranslational biosynthesis have remained elusive. Asparaginyl endopeptidases are crucial in the final stage of the head-to-tail cyclization reaction, but the enzyme(s) involved in the prerequisite steps of N-terminal proteolytic release were unknown until now. Here we use activity-guided fractionation to identify specific members of papain-like cysteine proteases involved in the N-terminal cleavage of cyclotide precursors. Through both characterization of recombinantly produced enzymes and in planta peptide cyclization assays, we define the molecular basis of the substrate requirements of these enzymes, including the prototypic

SUBMITTER: Rehm FBH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6475389 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature