| Type: | Family | Name: | Peptidase M32, carboxypeptidase Taq metallopeptidase |
| Description: | Metalloproteases are the most diverse of the four main types of protease, with more than 50 families identified to date. In these enzymes, a divalent cation, usually zinc, activates the water molecule. The metal ion is held in place by amino acid ligands, usually three in number. The known metal ligands are His, Glu, Asp or Lys and at least one other residue is required for catalysis, which may play an electrophillic role. Of the known metalloproteases, around half contain an HEXXH motif, which has been shown in crystallographic studies to form part of the metal-binding site []. The HEXXH motif is relatively common, but can be more stringently defined for metalloproteases as 'abXHEbbHbc', where 'a' is most often valine or threonine and forms part of the S1' subsite in thermolysin and neprilysin, 'b' is an uncharged residue, and 'c' a hydrophobic residue. Proline is never found in this site, possibly because it would break the helical structure adopted by this motif in metalloproteases [].This group of metallopeptidases belong to MEROPS peptidase family M32 (carboxypeptidase Taq family, clan MA(E)). The predicted active site residues for members of this family and thermolysin, the type example for clan MA, occur in the motif HEXXH. Carboxypeptidase Taq is a zinc-containing thermostable metallopeptidase. It was originally discovered and purified from Thermus aquaticus; optimal enzymatic activity occurs at 80 celcius. Although very little is known about this enzyme, it is thought either to be associated with a membrane or to be particle bound. | Short Name: | Peptidase_M32 |
