1998/03/01 by Rudolf Jung, M. Paul Scott, Youngwoo Nam +5 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Medicine · #Amino acid #Biochemistry #Biology #Cleavage (geology) #Endopeptidase #Enzyme #Enzyme Production and Characterization #Gene #Legumin #Mutant #Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis #Peptide #Protein subunit #Proteolysis #Random hexamer #Silique #Storage protein #Transgenic Plants and Applications
paper · pdf · doi:10.1105/tpc.10.3.343
openalex publication_date 1998/03/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
11S seed storage proteins are synthesized as precursors that are cleaved post-translationally in storage vacuoles by an asparaginyl endopeptidase. To study the specificity of the reaction catalyzed by this asparaginyl endopeptidase, we prepared a series of octapeptides and mutant legumin B and G4 glycinin subunits. These contained amino acid mutations in the region surrounding the cleavage site. The endopeptidase had an absolute specificity for Asn on the N-terminal side of the severed peptide bond but exhibited little specificity for amino acids on the C-terminal side. The ability of unmodified and modified subunits to assemble into hexamers after post-translational modification was evaluated. Cleavage of subunits in trimers is required for hexamer assembly in vitro. Products from a mutant gene encoding a noncleavable prolegumin subunit (LeBDeltaN281) accumulated as trimers in seed of transgenic tobacco, but products from the unmodified prolegumin B gene accumulated as hexamers. Therefore, the asparaginyl endopeptidase is required for hexamer assembly.