Purification, characterization, and inhibition of peptide deformylase from Escherichia coli

Peptide deformylase (EC 3,5.1.31) catalyzes the removal of a formyl group from the N-termini of nascent ribosome-synthesized polypeptides, an obligatory step during protein maturation in eubacteria, Since its discovery in crude Escherichia coli extracts 3 decades ago, the deformylase has resisted all attempts of purification or characterization due to its extraordinary lability. By placing the coding sequence (def gene) of Escherichia coli deformylase behind a bacteriophage T7 promoter; we have, however, been able to overexpress this deformylase in Escherichia coli. Overproduction has allowed the purification of >50 mg of deformylase enzyme from each liter of cell culture. Purified deformylase is highly active toward N-formylated peptide substrates. A new, sensitive assay for the deformylase has been developed by measuring the amount of released formate using a formate dehydrogenase; This has allowed for the assessment of the catalytic properties of peptide deformylase using a series of synthetic N-formylated peptides as substrates. The deformylase exhibits strong preference for an L-methionine or the isosteric norleucine at the N-terminus of a substrate and has broad specificity for the rest of the residues, Small divalent metal chelators strongly inhibit the E. call deformylase. In particular: certain 1,2- and 1,3-dithiol compounds act as potent, lime-dependent inhibitors of the peptide deformylase.