Role of repetitive nine-residue sequence motifs in secretion, enzymatic activity, and protein conformation of a family I.3 lipase.

A family I.3 lipase from Pseudomonas sp. MIS38 (PML) contains 12 repeats of a nine-residue sequence motif in the C-terminal region. To elucidate the role of these repetitive sequences, mutant proteins PML5, PML4, PML1, and PML0, in which 7, 8, 11, and all 12 of the repetitive sequences are deleted, and PMLdelta19, in which 19 C-terminal residues are truncated, were constructed. Escherichia coli DH5 cells carrying the Serratia marcescens Lip system permitted the secretion of the wild-type and all of the mutant proteins except for PMLdelta19, although they were partially accumulated in the cells in an insoluble form as well. Both the secretion level and cellular content of the proteins decreased in the order PML > PML5 > PML4 > PML1 > PML0, indicating that repetitive sequences are not required for secretion of PML but are important for its stability in the cells. All the mutant proteins were purified in a refolded form and their biochemical properties were characterized. CD spectra, the Ca2+ contents, and susceptibility to chymotryptic digestion strongly suggested that the five repetitive sequences remaining in PML5 are sufficient to form a beta-roll structure, whereas the four in PML4 are not. PML5 and PMLdelta19 showed both lipase and esterase activities, whereas PML4, PML1, and PML0 were inactive. These results suggest that the enzymatic activity of PML is not seriously affected by a deletion or truncation at the C-terminal region as long as a succession of repetitive sequences can build a beta-roll structure.