Reaction: Inactivates bleomycin B2 (a cytotoxic glycometallopeptide) by hydrolysis of a carboxyamide bond of β-aminoalanine, but also shows general aminopeptidase activity. The specificity varies somewhat with source, but amino acid arylamides of Met, Leu and Ala are preferred [1]
Other names: aminopeptidase C (Lactococcus lactis) [4]
Comment: The molecule is a homohexamer in which the monomers have a papain-like tertiary structure (In peptidase family C1). The active sites are on the walls of a central channel through the molecule, and access of substrate molecules to them is obstructed by this and by the C-terminus of each polypeptide chain [3]. Bleomycin can scarcely be the natural substrate, and there are reports of limited endopeptidase activity. Known from bacteria as well as eukaryotic organisms. Hydrolase H from chicken muscle has many similarities to bleomycin hydrolase, but hydrolyses Ph-CO-Arg-2-naphthylamine as well as aminopeptidase substrates [2]
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MEROPS, Metacyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 53096-17-6
References
1. Brömme, D., Rossi, A.B., Smeekens, S.P., Anderson, D.C. & Payan, D.G. Human bleomycin hydrolase: molecular cloning, sequencing, functional expression, and enzymatic characterization. Biochemistry 35 (1996) 6706-6714. [PMID: 8639621]
2. Adachi, H., Tsujimoto, M., Fukasawa, M., Sato, Y., Arai, H., Inoue, K. & Nishimura, T. cDNA cloning and expression of chicken aminopeptidase H, possessing endopeptidase as well as aminopeptidase activity. Eur. J. Biochem.245 (1997) 283-288. [PMID: 9151954]
3. Zheng, W., Johnston, S.A. & Joshua-Tor, L. The unusual active site of Gal6/bleomycin hydrolase can act as a carboxypeptidase, aminopeptidase, and peptide ligase. Cell 93 (1998) 103-109. [PMID: 9546396]
4. Mistou, M.Y. & Gripon, J.C. Catalytic properties of the cysteine aminopeptidase PepC, a bacterial bleomycin hydrolase. Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1383 (1998) 63-70. [PMID: 9546047]