During the past 15 years, the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris has developed into a highly successful system for the production of a variety of heterologous proteins. The increasing popularity of this particular expression system can be attributed to several factors, most importantly: (1) the simplicity of techniques needed for the molecular genetic manipulation of P. pastoris and their similarity to those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, one of the most well-characterized experimental systems in modern biology; (2) the ability of P. pastoris to produce foreign proteins at high levels, either intracellularly or extracellularly; (3) the capability of performing many eukaryotic post-translational modifications, such as glycosylation, disulfide bond formation and proteolytic processing; and (4) the availability of the expression system as a commercially available kit. In this paper, we review the P. pastoris expression system: how it was developed, how it works, and what proteins have been produced. We also describe new promoters and auxotrophic marker/host strain combinations which extend the usefulness of the system.

http://www.biotechlab.ch/UserFiles/File/787339_Ref_CererghinoCregg2000.pdf

Heterologous protein expression in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris

Cysteine cathepsins: From structure, function and regulation to new frontiers

F. Vinyl Sulfones and Other Michael Acceptors 4683 G. Azodicarboxamides 4695 IV. Acylating Agents 4695 A. Aza-peptides 4695 B. Carbamates 4699 C. Peptidyl Acyl Hydroxamates 4700 D. â-Lactams and Related Inhibitors 4704 E. Heterocyclic Inhibitors 4714 1. Isocoumarins 4715 2. Benzoxazinones 4722 3. Saccharins 4725 4. Miscellaneous Heterocyclic Inhibitors 4728 V. Phosphonylation Agents 4728 A. Peptide Phosphonates 4728 B. Phosphonyl Fluorides 4734 VI. Sulfonylating Agents 4735 A. Sulfonyl Fluorides 4735 VII. Miscellaneous Inhibitors 4736 VIII. Summary and Perspectives 4737 IX. Acknowledgments 4740 X. Note Added in Proof 4740 XI. References 4740

Irreversible inhibitors of serine, cysteine, and threonine proteases.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) catalyze the hydrolysis of phosphotyrosine from specific signal-transducing proteins. Although regulatory mechanisms for protein kinases have been described, no general mechanism for controlling PTPs has been demonstrated. Numerous reports have shown that cellular redox status plays an important role in tyrosine phosphorylation-dependent signal transduction pathways. This study explores the proposal that PTPs may be regulated by reversible reduction/oxidation involving cellular oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Recent reports indicated that H2O2 is transiently generated during growth factor stimulation and that H2O2 production is concomitant with relevant tyrosine phosphorylation. By use of recombinant enzymes, the effects of H2O2 on three PTPs [PTP1, LAR (leukocyte antigen-related), and VHR (vaccinia H1-related)] and three distinct serine/threonine protein phosphatases (PPs:  PP2Cα, calcineurin, and λ phosphatase) were determined. Hydrogen peroxide had no app...

Specific and reversible inactivation of protein tyrosine phosphatases by hydrogen peroxide: evidence for a sulfenic acid intermediate and implications for redox regulation.

Subtilases are members of the clan (or superfamily) of subtilisin-like serine proteases. Over 200 subtilases are presently known, more than 170 of which with their complete amino acid sequence. In this update of our previous overview (Siezen RJ, de Vos WM, Leunissen JAM, Dijkstra BW, 1991, Protein Eng 4:719-731), details of more than 100 new subtilases discovered in the past five years are summarized, and amino acid sequences of their catalytic domains are compared in a multiple sequence alignment. Based on sequence homology, a subdivision into six families is proposed. Highly conserved residues of the catalytic domain are identified, as are large or unusual deletions and insertions. Predictions have been updated for Ca(2+)-binding sites, disulfide bonds, and substrate specificity, based on both sequence alignment and three-dimensional homology modeling.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pro.5560060301

Subtilases: the superfamily of subtilisin-like serine proteases.

Alignment/phylogeny of the papain superfamily of cysteine proteases.

A peptide (PCB1) corresponding to the proregion of the rat cysteine protease cathepsin B was synthesized and its ability to inhibit cathepsin B activity investigated. PCB1 was found to be a potent inhibitor of mature cathepsin B at pH 6.0, yielding a Ki = 0.4 nM. This inhibition obeyed slow-binding kinetics and occurred as a one-step process with a k1 = 5.2 x 10(5) M-1 s-1 and a k2 = 2.2 x 10(-4) s-1. On dropping from pH 6.0 to 4.7, Ki increased markedly, and whereas k1 remained essentially unchanged, k2 increased to 4.5 x 10(-3) s-1. Thus, the increase in Ki at lower pH is due primarily to an increased dissociation rate for the cathepsin B/PCB1 complex. At pH 4.0, the inhibition was 160-fold weaker (Ki = 64 nM) than at pH 6.0, and the propeptide appeared to behave as a classical competitive inhibitor rather than a slow-binding inhibitor. Incubation of cathepsin B with a 10-fold excess of PCB1 overnight at pH 4.0 resulted in extensive cleavage of the propetide whereas no cleavage occurred at pH 6.0, consistent with the formation of a tight complex between cathepsin B and PCB1 at the higher pH. The synthetic propeptide of cathepsin B was found to be a much weaker inhibitor of papain, a structurally similar cysteine protease, and no pH dependence was observed. Inhibition constants of 2.8 and 5.6 microM were obtained for papain inhibition by PCB1 at pH 4.0 and 6.0, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Potent slow-binding inhibition of cathepsin B by its propeptide.

https://www.cell.com/structure/pdf/S0969-2126(96)00046-9.pdf

Structure of rat procathepsin B: model for inhibition of cysteine protease activity by the proregion

http://www.jbc.org/content/270/18/10838.full.pdf

Processing of the Papain Precursor THE IONIZATION STATE OF A CONSERVED AMINO ACID MOTIF WITHIN THE Pro REGION PARTICIPATES IN THE REGULATION OF INTRAMOLECULAR PROCESSING

Andrew C. Storer

Papers

Alignment/phylogeny of the papain superfamily of cysteine proteases.

Potent slow-binding inhibition of cathepsin B by its propeptide.

Structure of rat procathepsin B: model for inhibition of cysteine protease activity by the proregion

Processing of the Papain Precursor THE IONIZATION STATE OF A CONSERVED AMINO ACID MOTIF WITHIN THE Pro REGION PARTICIPATES IN THE REGULATION OF INTRAMOLECULAR PROCESSING

Functional expression of human cathepsin S in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Purification and characterization of the recombinant enzyme.