Presence of a dipeptidyl aminopeptidase III in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The soluble fraction of a cell extract of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to contain hydrolytic activity toward arginyl-arginyl-beta-naphthylamide (Arg-Arg-beta NA). Most of the contaminating Arg-beta NA hydrolysis activity was removed by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose column chromatography and the enzyme was partially purified. It is very similar in various properties to mammalian dipeptidyl aminopeptidase III (DAP III), although it differs slightly in some respects.