A rapid fluorometric assay for the proteolytic activity of SKI-1/S1P based on the surface glycoprotein of the hemorrhagic fever Lassa virus

Abstract

The subtilase subtilisin kexin isozyme-1 (SKI-1)/site 1 protease (S1P), has been implicated in the processing of Lassa virus glycoprotein C (GP-C) precursor into GP1 and GP2 that are responsible for viral fusion with the host cell membrane. Here, we studied in vitro the kinetics of this cleavage by hSKI-1 using an intramolecularly quenched fluorogenic (IQF) peptide, Q-GPC251-263 [Abz-251Asp-Ile-Tyr-Ile-Ser-Arg-Arg-Leu-Leu↓Gly-Thr-Phe-Thr 263-3-NitroTyr-Ala-CONH2], containing the identified site. The measured Vmax (app)/Km (app) was compared to those for other IQF SKI-substrates. Q-GPC251-263 is cleaved 10-fold more efficiently than the previously known best SKI-substrate, Q-hproSKI134-142. This study confirmed the role of SKI-1 in GP-C processing and provides a novel, rapid and efficient enzymatic assay of SKI-1. © 2002 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.