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  • Title: Metacaspase 2 of Trypanosoma brucei is a calcium-dependent cysteine peptidase active without processing.
    Author: Moss CX, Westrop GD, Juliano L, Coombs GH, Mottram JC.
    Journal: FEBS Lett; 2007 Dec 11; 581(29):5635-9. PubMed ID: 18005666.
    Abstract:
    Metacaspases are cysteine peptidases that are distantly related to the caspases, for which proteolytic processing is central to their activation. Here, we show that recombinant metacaspase 2 (MCA2) from Trypanosoma brucei has arginine/lysine-specific, Ca(2+)-dependent proteolytic activity. Autocatalytic processing of MCA2 occurred after Lys55 and Lys268; however, this was shown not to be required for the enzyme to be proteolytically active. The necessity of Ca(2+), but not processing, for MCA2 enzymatic activity clearly distinguishes MCA2 from the caspases and would be consistent with different physiological roles.
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