Amino zinc-exopeptidase

As mentioned earlier, by far the largest number of zinc enzymes are involved in hydrolytic reactions, frequently associated with peptide bond cleavage. Carboxypeptidases and ther-molysins are, respectively, exopeptidases, which remove amino acids from the carboxyl terminus of proteins, and endopeptidases, which cleave peptide bonds in the interior of a polypeptide chain. However, they both have almost identical active sites (Figure 12.4) with two His and one Glu ligands to the Zn2+. It appears that the Glu residue can be bound in a mono- or bi-dentate manner. The two classes of enzymes are expected to follow similar reaction mechanisms. 

The metal ion is held in place by amino acid residues, generally His, Glu, Asp, or Lys. In many metallopeptidases, which may be exopeptidases or en-dopeptidases, only one zinc ion is required. In all Co2+ or Mn2+-dependent, and in some Zn2+-dependent metallopeptidases, two metal ions are present and act cocatalytically these enzymes are exopeptidases [2][73][74],... 

There are five distinct families of zinc proteases, classified by the nature of the zinc binding site. These families, and their variously proposed mechanisms, have recently been reviewed in depth.143 The most studied member is the digestive enzyme bovine pancreatic carboxypeptidase A, which is a metalloenzyme containing one atom of zinc bound to its single polypeptide chain of 307 amino acids and Mr 34 472. It is an exopeptidase, which catalyzes the hydrolysis of C-terminal amino acids from polypeptide substrates, and is specific for the large hydrophobic amino acids such as phenylalanine. The closely related carboxypeptidase B catalyzes the hydrolysis of C-terminal lysine and arginine residues. The two en-... 

Leucine aminopeptidase (LAP, E.C.3.4.11.1) is one of the first discovered and the most widely studied aminopeptidase with respect to sequence, structure and mechanism of action.59 -63 LAP is a zinc containing exopeptidase that catalyzes the removal of amino acids from the N-terminus of peptides or proteins. Similar to other aminopeptidases, this enzyme is of significant biological and medical importance because of its key role in protein modification, activation, and degradation as well as in the metabolism of biologically active peptides and activity regulation of hormonal... 

Dietary proteins, with very few exceptions, are not absorbed rather they must be digested into amino acids, or di- and tripeptides. Protein digestion begins in the stomach, where proenzyme pepsinogen is autocatalytically converted to pepsin A. Most proteolysis takes place in the duodenum via enzymes secreted by the pancreas, including trypsinogen, chymotrypsinogen and pro-carboxypeptidase A. These serine and zinc proteases are produced in the form of their respective proenzymes they are both endopeptidase and exopeptidase, and their combined action leads to the production of amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides. 

The most studied member of zinc proteases is the digestive enzyme bovine pancreatic carboxypeptidase A (CPA) which is a metalloenzyme containing one atom of zinc bound to its single polypeptide side chain of 307 amino acids with a molecular weight of 34 kD. It is an exopeptidase, which catalyses the hydrolysis of C-terminal amino... 

Carboxypeptidase A is an exopeptidase that catalyzes the hydrolysis of amino acids, especially those with aromatic side chains, from the C-terminus of a protein or polypeptide. It utilizes zinc in its mode of action [104. The detailed crystal structure of carboxypeptidase (PDB file 5CPA) has been determined to 1.54 A... 

In this section we will orient the rest of the discussion on carboxypeptidase A. This is a zinc-dependent enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of C-terminal amino acid residues of peptides and proteins and the hydrolysis of the corresponding esters. This exopeptidase has a molecular weight of 34,600 and a specificity for aromatic amino acid in the L-configuration. 

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