Plant subtilisins

This review presents a systematization of available data on subtilisin-like serine proteinases of plants. Enzymatic and physicochemical properties of the enzymes, their structure and processing, as well as their biological fu nctions and origin are considered. Subtilisin-like proteinases of plants ha ve a number of substantial differences from such typical subtilisins as sub tilisin BPN' or subtilisin Carlsberg. The plant subtilisins are characteriz ed by much greater molecular mass, long inserts and C-terminal regions, and several cysteine residues, while typical subtilisins have no cysteine resi dues, and thiol-dependent bacterial subtilisins contain only one cysteine r esidue required for enzymatic activity.