期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1978
卷号：75
期号：12
页码：5998-6001
DOI：10.1073/pnas.75.12.5998
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Two independent mutants of Escherichia coli deficient in dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity (Dep-) were isolated after mutagenesis with ethyl methanesulfonate. Mating experiments and introduction of specific episomes indicated that the responsible gene was located at approximately 27--31 min on the E. coli chromosome. The Dep- mutants differed from the parental strain in their inability to grow with N-acetylalanylalanylalanine as the sole nitrogen source. Revertants selected for growth on this substrate of the enzyme were found to have reacquired the activity. Enzyme activity was highly sensitive to inhibition by 1-(D-3-mercapto-2-methylpropanoyl)-L-proline (SQ 14225), a potent inhibitor of mammalian dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase (angiotensin-converting enzyme, peptidyl dipeptidase, EC 3.4.15.1 ). This compound also reduced the rate of growth of the wild type with N-acetylalanylalanylalanine but not with ammonium sulfate. A fraction of the enzyme was released into the medium by osmotic shock, indicating that its presence in the periplasmic space may account for growth with N-acetylated peptides that cannot be taken up by E. coli. In addition to providing information about the specific role of this exopeptidase in E. coli, the Dep- mutants may prove useful for delineating the regulation and cellular function of dipeptidyl carboxypeptidases in higher organisms.
