W. Stocker et W. Bode, STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF A SUPERFAMILY OF ZINC-ENDOPEPTIDASES - THE METZINCINS, Current opinion in structural biology, 5(3), 1995, pp. 383-390
A large number of zinc endopeptidases contain an HEXXHXXGXXH consensus
motif in their catalytic site (single letter code; X is any amino aci
d residue). These enzymes can be grouped into four distinct families,
the astacins, the adamalysins, the serralysins and the matrix metallop
roteinases (matrixins). Despite a low degree of sequence similarity, t
heir catalytic modules are topologically similar. A topology derived s
equence alignment suggests that the four families form a superfamily,
called the metzincins because of a perfectly superimposable methionine
residue close to the zinc-binding active site. Topological similarity
to the thermolysin-like enzymes indicates that these enzymes may have
had a common ancestor.