Emerging family of proline-specific peptidases of Porphyromonas gingivalis:: Purification and characterization of serine dipeptidyl peptidase, a structural and functional homologue of mammalian prolyl dipeptidyl peptidase IV

Porphyromonas gingivalis is an asaccharolytic and anaerobic bacterium that possesses a complex proteolytic system which is essential for its growth and evasion of host defense mechanisms. In this report, we show the purification and characterization of prolyl dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) produced by this organism. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity, and its enzymatic activity and biochemical properties were investigated. P. gingivalis DPPIV, like its human counterpart, is able to cleave the N terminus of synthetic oligopeptides with sequences analogous to those of interleukins 1 beta and 2. Additionally, this protease hydrolyzes biologically active peptides including substance P, fibrin inhibitory peptide, and beta-casomorphin. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA isolated from several P. gingivalis strains reveal that a single copy of the DPPIV gene was present in all strains tested.