Ubiquitin-specific proteases

5,494,818

08/005,002

January 15, 1993

The disclosure relates to a generic class of ubiquitin-specific proteases which specifically cleave at the C-terminus of the ubiquitin moiety in a ubiquitin fusion protein irrespective of the size of the ubiquitin fusion protein. More specifically, the disclosure relates to ubiquitin-specific proteases of this class which have been isolated from a cell. The disclosure also relates to isolated DNA sequences encoding the proteases of this class.

Baker, Rohan T. (Garran, AUX); Tobias, John W. (Cambridge, MA); Varshavsky, Alexander (Boston, MA)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)

We claim

1. An isolated ubiquitin-specific protease which specifically cleaves a ubiquitin fusion protein having a molecular weight of about 120 kilodaltons, the specific cleavage taking place in vitro between the C-terminal residue of ubiquitin and the N-terminal residue of the protein or peptide, the fusion protein being encoded by the DNA represented in Sequence ID Number 1.

2. An isolated protease of claim 1 which is encoded by the DNA represented in Sequence I.D. Number 5.

3. An isolated ubiquitin-specific protease which specifically cleaves a ubiquitin fusion protein having a molecular weight of about 120 kilodaltons, the specific cleavage taking place in a prokaryotic cell between the C-terminal residue of ubiquitin and the N-terminal residue of the protein or peptide, the fusion protein being encoded by the DNA represented in Sequence I.D. Number 1.

4. An isolated protease of claim 3 which is encoded by the DNA represented in Sequence I.D. Number 5.

5. An isolated protease of claim 3 which is encoded by the DNA represented in Sequence I.D. Number 7.

435/219; 435/223; 435/226

C12N 950; C12N 958; C12N 964

5132213 July 1992 Bachmair et al.
5156968 October 1992 Liu
5212058 May 1993 Baker et al.
5391490 February 1995 Varshausky et al.

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