Bovine spleen Multicatalytic Proteinase Complex (Proteasome)

Amino acid sequencing of subunits of the multicatalytic proteinase complex (MPC) isolated from bovine spleen showed an almost complete replacement of the X, Y, and Z subunits, constitutively expressed in most tissues, by the interferon-gamma-inducible LMP7, LMP2, and MECL1 subunits. A comparison with the pituitary MPC found a decreased chymotrypsin-like activity, a depressed peptidylglutamyl-peptide hydrolyzing activity, and a highly active component with properties similar to, but not identical with, that of the pituitary branched chain amino acid preferring (BrAAP) component. Unlike the pituitary BrAAP component, that of the spleen MPC exhibited a greatly decreased K-m, a highly increased catalytic efficiency (k(cat)), and a 80-180 times greater specificity constant (k(cat)/K-m) toward substrates with either branched chain or aromatic amino acid residues in the P-1 position. Also, unlike the pituitary BrAAP component, that of the spleen was sensitive to inactivation by 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin and sensitive to inhibition by peptidyl-aldehydes with either phenylalaninal or leucinal residues. Several phenylalaninal peptidyl-aldehydes were identified which selectively inhibited components of the spleen but not of the pituitary MPC. Two of the inhibitors are dipeptidyl-aldehydes, two others are tetrapeptidyl-aldehydes with a Pro residue in the P-3 position. The possibility is discussed that the properties and specificity of the spleen MPC are a consequence of the presence of the interferon-gamma-inducible subunits.