We describe here an Escherichia coli expression system that produces recombinant proteins enriched in the N-terminal processed form, by using glutathione S-transferase cGSTM1-1 and rGSTT1-1 as models, where c and r refer to chick and rat respectively. Approximately 90% of the cGSTM1-1 or rGSTT1-1 overexpressed in E. coli under the control of a phoA promoter retained the initiator methionine res...

Aminopeptidase N has been reported to be a Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1A toxin-binding protein in several lepidopteran insects. cDNAs of aminopeptidase-like proteins from both Bt-susceptible RC688s and Bt-resistant HD198r strains of the Indianmeal moth, Plodia interpunctella, were cloned and sequenced. They contain 3345 and 3358 nucleotides, respectively, and each has a 3048 bp open reading...

Aminopeptidases are members of a membrane-bound metallopeptidase family that are expressed at a high level on the brush-border membrane of enterocytes. Because the rapid growth of meat-type chickens depends on the dietary supply of amino acids, a study of intestinal aminopeptidases, which play a central role in protein digestion, is important. This study is the first reported isolation of the p...

Insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is a membrane aminopeptidase and is homologous to the placental leucine aminopeptidase, P-LAP. IRAP has a wide distribution but has been best characterized in adipocytes and myocytes. In these cells, IRAP colocalizes with the glucose transporter GLUT4 to intracellular vesicles and, like GLUT4, translocates from these vesicles to the cell surface in respon...

Jasmonate inducible plant leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) is proposed to serve as direct defense in the insect midgut. However, exact functions of inducible plant LAPs in the insect midgut remain to be estimated. In the present investigation, we report the direct defensive role of pigeon pea inducible LAP in the midgut of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and responses of midgut solubl...

Long oligopeptides (>10 residues) are generated during the catabolism of cellular proteins in the cytosol. To be presented to T cells, such peptides must be trimmed by aminopeptidases to the proper size (typically 8-10 residues) to stably bind to MHC class I molecules. Aminopeptidases also destroy epitopes by trimming them to even shorter lengths. Bleomycin hydrolase (BH) is a cytosolic aminope...

Aminopeptidase was isolated from the plasma fraction of hemolymph from last instar larvae of the gypsy moth Lymantria dispar. Activity was detected using the synthetic substrate L-alanine-4-nitroanilide. Total aminopeptidase activity per microliter of plasma varied with developmental stage. Activity was detected throughout the last (fifth) larval instar and increased throughout the pupal stage....

We have cloned and characterized a human brain cDNA encoding a new metalloprotease that has been called aminopeptidase O (AP-O). AP-O exhibits a series of structural features characteristic of aminopeptidases, including a conserved catalytic domain with a zinc-binding site (HEXXHX18E) that allows its classification in the M1 family of metallopeptidases or gluzincins. The structural complexity o...

A bioinformatic and phylogenetic study has been performed on a family of penicillin-binding proteins including D-aminopeptidases, D-amino acid amidases, DD-carboxypeptidases, and β -lactamases. Significant homology between D-aminopeptidase from Ochrobactrum anthropi and other members of the family has been shown and a number of conserved residues identified as S62, K65, Y153, N155, H287, and G2...

In angiotensin type 1 receptor–blocked rats, renal interstitial (RI) administration of des-aspartyl-angiotensin II (Ang III) but not angiotensin II induces natriuresis via activation of angiotensin type 2 receptors. In the present study, renal function was documented during systemic angiotensin type 1 receptor blockade with candesartan in Sprague-Dawley rats receiving unilateral RI infusion of ...