Caspase-3 cleaves in unforeseen ways
Investigators at Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) have identified novel cleavage sites for the enzyme caspase-3 (an enzyme that proteolytically cleaves target proteins). Using an advanced proteomic technique called N-terminomics, Guy Salvesen, Ph.D., professor and director of the Apoptosis and Cell Death Research program of Burnham's NCI-designated Cancer Center, and colleagues determined the cleavage sites on target proteins and found, contrary to previous understanding, that caspase-3 targets α-helices as well as unstructured loops. In addition, researchers found that caspase-3 and the substrates it binds to co-evolved. The paper was published on September 20 in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
Prior to this study, scientists believed that proteases primarily cleave in unstructured loops, unstable parts of proteins that are readily accessible. The discovery that caspase-3 also cleaves α-helices contradicts a current dogma and offers new insights into protein signaling pathways.
"This was a big surprise because there shouldn't be anything for a protease to grab onto in a helix," said Dr. Salvesen. "We found that the basic concept that they don't cleave to helices is wrong. However, though we've found that proteases can cleave helices, we don't believe that's their biological function."
In addition to determining cleavage sites, the team also determined which interactions were "biologically significant." In other words which cleavages altered the function of the target protein and which ones had little impact.