Specificity of cathepsin B to fluorescent substrates containing benzyl side-chain-substituted amino acids at P1 subsite

We have determined the kinetic parameters for the hydrolysis by cathepsin B of peptidyl-coumarin amide and intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic peptides with the general structures epsilon NH2-Cap-Leu-X-MCA and Abz-Lys-Leu-X-Phe-Ser-Lys-Gln-EDDnp, respectively. Abz (ortho-aminobenzoic acid) and EDDnp (2,4-dinitrophenyl-ethylenediamine) are the fluorescent donor-acceptor pair, and X was Cys(SBzl), Ser(OBzl), and Thr(OBzl) containing benzyl group (Bzl) at the functional side chain of Cys, Ser, and Thr. The peptidyl-coumarin-containing Cys(SBzl), Ser(OBzl), and Thr(OBzl) have higher affinity cathepsin B, supporting the interpretation of the crystal structure of rat cathepsin B complexed with the inhibitor Z-Arg-Ser(OBzl)-CH2Cl that the benzyl group attached to Ser hydroxyl side chain occupies the enzyme S'(1) subsite [Jia et al. (1995), J. Biol. Chem. 270, 5527]. A similar effect of benzyl group was also detected in the internally quenched peptides. Finally, the benzyl group in substrates containing Cys(SBzl) amino acid at P-1 seems to compensate the absence of adequate S-2-P-2 interaction in the hydrolysis of the peptides having Pro or Ala at P-2 position.