IDENTIFICATION OF PRECURSOR PEPTIDE OF ACULEACIN-A ACYLASE AS A PROTEIN WITH PROTEOLYTIC ACTIVITY

A protein with the proteolytic activity was isolated from culture filt rate of the aculeacin A acylase producing strain, Actinoplanes utahens is NRRL12052. The purified protein showed a single band of molecular m ass of 87 kDa in SDS-PAGE and gel filtration using HPLC, and reacted w ith anti-aculeacin A acylase antiserum. The 87-kDa protein was degrade d to two peptides of molecular mass of 60 kDa and 19 kDa by incubation at 37 degrees C in the presence of 0.1% SDS and the former band also responded to the antiserum. These results indicate that the 87-kDa pro tein possessing the proteolytic activity is a precursor of aculeacin A acylase.