Effects of conversion of the zinc-binding motif sequence of thermolysin, HEXXH, to that of dipeptidyl peptidase III, HEXXXH, on the activity and stability of thermolysin.

Most zinc metalloproteinases have the consensus zinc-binding motif sequence HEXXH, in which two histidine residues chelate a catalytic zinc ion. The zinc-binding motif sequence of thermolysin, H(142)ELTH(146), belongs to this motif sequence, while that of dipeptidyl peptidase III (DPP III), H(450)ELLGH(455), belongs to the motif sequence HEXXXH. In this study, we examined effects of conversion of HEXXH to HEXXXH in thermolysin on its activity and stability.

Effects of mutations of thermolysin, as N116 to asp and asp150 to glu, on salt-induced activation and stabilization.

Neutral salts activate and stabilize thermolysin. We previously found that two single mutations, Asn116→Asp and Asp150→Glu, increase the activity of thermolysin. In the present study, we examined their effects on NaCl-induced activation and stabilization.

Effects of site-directed mutagenesis of Asn116 in the β-hairpin of the N-terminal domain of thermolysin on its activity and stability.

In the N-terminal domain of thermolysin, two anti-parallel β-strands, Asn112-Ala113-Phe114-Trp115 and Ser118-Gln119-Met120-Val121-Tyr122 are connected by an Asn116-Gly117 turn to form a β-hairpin structure. In this study, we examined the role of Asn116 in the activity and stability of thermolysin by site-directed mutagenesis. Of the 19 Asn116 variants, four (N116A, N116D, N116T and N116Q) were produced in Escherichia coli, by co-expressing the mature and pro domains separately, while the other 15 were not.

Effects of site-directed mutagenesis of the loop residue of the N-terminal domain Gly117 of thermolysin on its catalytic activity.

In the N-terminal domain of thermolysin, two polypeptide strands, Asn112-Ala113-Phe114-Trp115 and Ser118-Gln119-Met120-Val121-Tyr122, are connected by a short loop, Asn116-Gly117, to form an anti-parallel β-sheet. The Asn112-Trp115 strand is located in the active site, while the Ser118-Tyr122 strand and the Asn116-Gly117 loop are located outside the active site. In this study, we explored the catalytic role of Gly117 by site-directed mutagenesis.