SUBSTRATE RECOGNITION BY PROTEINASES

The molecular recognition of limited proteolytic site substrates by serine proteinases has been compared and contrasted to the recognition of serine proteinase inhibitors, utilising the coordinate sets contained in the Brookhaven Protein Databank. Most families of these inhibitors are known to possess a structurally conserved recognition motif at their reactive site-binding loops. Structural comparisons with trypsin limited proteolytic sites revealed that the in situ conformation of these substrates bears little resemblance to the inhibitor-binding loops. Assuming that both inhibitors and substrates bind to the proteinase in the same manner, segmental mobility would be required to permit substrates to adopt an 'inhibitor-like' binding conformation, which is presumed to be necessary for proteolysis. Modelling experiments have been conducted to attempt to introduce such a conformation into tryptic limited proteolytic segments of the native proteins, to test the ability of the limited proteolytic sites to alter their geometry. Further to this, the conformational parameters of accessibility, protrusion, mobility and secondary structure have been analysed and incorporated into a predictive algorithm to assign likely limited proteolytic sites within native protein structures.