Caspase 8: an efficient method for large-scale autoactivation of recombinant procaspase 8 by matrix adsorption and characterization of the active enzyme

A gene coding for a truncated form of human procaspase 8 has been cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. This construct contains M(206) through D(479) of human procaspase 8, preceded by an N-terminal polyhistidine tag. The recombinant protein, containing 286 amino acids, was expressed in high yield in the form of inclusion bodies (IB). The IB were solubilized in guanidinium chloride and dialyzed against 50% acetic acid. The solution was mixed with 9 volumes of H(2)O and then rapidly diluted from the acidic medium to one containing 1.0 M Tris, pH 8.0, and 5 mM DTT. SDS-PAGE analysis of the soluble, dilute protein solution (20-30 microgram of protein/ml) showed a single 33-kDa band corresponding to the nonprocessed, inactive procaspase 8. Concentration of the dilute protein to levels as high as 2 mg/ml resulted in only modest (1-10%) autocatalytic conversion to the 19- and 11-kDa polypeptide subunits which are characteristic of the activated enzyme. Further concentration of these protein solutions to a near-dry state on the ultrafiltration membrane, followed by washing of the membrane with buffer, led to extracts containing high yields of enzyme showing a specific activity of 8.43 micromol/min/mg against the chromogenic substrate Ac-IETD-pNA. SDS-PAGE, protein sequencing, and mass spectrometric analysis of these extracts showed complete conversion of the 33-kDa procaspase 8 to the 19- and 11-kDa subunits of activated caspase 8. This method allows for preparation of 100-mg quantities of highly pure and active recombinant human caspase 8. Enzyme activity was shown to be associated with a heterotetrameric complex that is converted to an inactive dimer upon storage.     

纤维结合素分子中Asp1961～Glu1978序列对三结构域多肽在大肠杆菌中表达的影响

构建了人纤维结合素（ＦＮ）的三功能结构域重组多肽的两个表达质粒,分别编码两个重组多肽：ＣＨ６２（ＦＮ的Ｐｒｏ１２３９～Ｓｅｒ１５１５经Ｍｅｔ和Ａｌａ１６９０～Ｖａ１２０４９相连）和ＣＨ６３（从ＣＨ６２中删除了Ｉｌｅ１８５０～Ｇｌｕ１９７８）．ＣＨ６２在大肠杆菌中的表达效率很低,而ＣＨ６３的表达效率则很高,结果提示ＦＮ分子中的Ａｓｐ１９６１～Ｇｌｕ１９７８序列是影响三结构域多肽在大肠杆菌中表达的关键结构．ＣＨ６３经过溶解和复性后,可通过肝素－琼脂糖亲和层析得到纯品,所得纯品具有结合肝素和结合细胞的功能,且结合细胞的能力比双结构域ＦＮ多肽更强,表明两个结合细胞的功能结构域均有活性．ＣＨ６３的制备为进一步研究具有更强的抑制肿瘤转移作用的基因工程制品奠定了基础．     

Casp8p41 generated by HIV protease kills CD4 T cells through direct Bak activation

Previous studies have shown that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease cleaves procaspase 8 to a fragment, termed Casp8p41, that lacks caspase activity but nonetheless contributes to T cell apoptosis. Herein, we show that Casp8p41 contains a domain that interacts with the BH3-binding groove of pro-apoptotic Bak to cause Bak oligomerization, Bak-mediated membrane permeabilization, and cell death. Levels of active Bak are higher in HIV-infected T cells that express Casp8p41. Conversely, targeted mutations in the Bak-interacting domain diminish Bak binding and Casp8p41-mediated cell death. Similar mutations in procaspase 8 impair the ability of HIV to kill infected T cells. These observations support a novel paradigm in which HIV converts a normal cellular constituent into a direct activator that functions like a BH3-only protein.     

Protein modeling of human prorenin using the molecular dynamics method

To study the activation-inactivation mechanism of the renin zymogen, prorenin, a tertiary structural model of human prorenin was constructed using computer graphics and molecular dynamics calculations, based on the pepsinogen structure. This prorenin model shows that the folded prosegment polypeptide can fit into the substrate binding cleft of the renin moiety. The three positively charged residues, Arg 10, Arg 15, and Arg 20, in the prosegment make salt bridges with Asp 225, Glu 331, and Asp 60, respectively, in renin. Arg 43, which is in the processing site, forms salt bridges with the catalytic residues of Asp 81 and Asp 269. These ionic interactions between the prosegment and the renin may contribute to keeping the prorenin structure as an inactive form.     

Deoxycholic acid (DCA) causes ligand-independent activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and FAS receptor in primary hepatocytes: inhibition of EGFR/mitogen-activated protein kinase-signaling module enhances DCA-induced apoptosis

Previous studies have argued that enhanced activity of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway can promote tumor cell survival in response to cytotoxic insults. In this study, we examined the impact of MAPK signaling on the survival of primary hepatocytes exposed to low concentrations of deoxycholic acid (DCA, 50 microM). Treatment of hepatocytes with DCA caused MAPK activation, which was dependent upon ligand independent activation of EGFR, and downstream signaling through Ras and PI(3) kinase. Neither inhibition of MAPK signaling alone by MEK1/2 inhibitors, nor exposure to DCA alone, enhanced basal hepatocyte apoptosis, whereas inhibition of DCA-induced MAPK activation caused approximately 25% apoptosis within 6 h. Similar data were also obtained when either dominant negative EGFR-CD533 or dominant negative Ras N17 were used to block MAPK activation. DCA-induced apoptosis correlated with sequential cleavage of procaspase 8, BID, procaspase 9, and procaspase 3. Inhibition of MAPK potentiated bile acid-induced apoptosis in hepatocytes with mutant FAS-ligand, but did not enhance in hepatocytes that were null for FAS receptor expression. These data argues that DCA is causing ligand independent activation of the FAS receptor to stimulate an apoptotic response, which is counteracted by enhanced ligand-independent EGFR/MAPK signaling. In agreement with FAS-mediated cell killing, inhibition of caspase function with the use of dominant negative Fas-associated protein with death domain, a caspase 8 inhibitor (Ile-Glu-Thr-Asp-p-nitroanilide [IETD]) or dominant negative procaspase 8 blocked the potentiation of bile acid-induced apoptosis. Inhibition of bile acid-induced MAPK signaling enhanced the cleavage of BID and release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, which were all blocked by IETD. Despite activation of caspase 8, expression of dominant negative procaspase 9 blocked procaspase 3 cleavage and the potentiation of DCA-induced apoptosis. Treatment of hepatocytes with DCA transiently increased expression of the caspase 8 inhibitor proteins c-FLIP-(S) and c-FLIP-(L) that were reduced by inhibition of MAPK or PI(3) kinase. Constitutive overexpression of c-FLIP-(s) abolished the potentiation of bile acid-induced apoptosis. Collectively, our data argue that loss of DCA-induced EGFR/Ras/MAPK pathway function potentiates DCA-stimulated FAS-induced hepatocyte cell death via a reduction in the expression of c-FLIP isoforms.     

Requirement of Apaf-1 for mitochondrial events and the cleavage or activation of all procaspases during genotoxic stress-induced apoptosis

Sequential activation of caspases is critical for the execution of apoptosis. Recent evidence suggests caspase 2 is a significant upstream caspase capable of initiating mitochondrial events, such as the release of cytochrome c. In particular, in vitro studies using recombinant proteins have shown that cleaved caspase 2 can induce mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization directly or by cleaving the BH3-only protein BID (BH3 interacting domain death agonist). However, whether interchain cleavage or activation of procaspase 2 occurs prior to Apaf-1-mediated procaspase 9 activation under more natural conditions remains unresolved. In the present study, we show that Apaf-1-deficient Jurkat T-lymphocytes and mouse embryonic fibroblasts were highly resistant to DNA-damage-induced apoptosis and failed to cleave or activate any apoptotic procaspase, including caspase 2. Significantly, drug-induced cytochrome c release and loss of mitochondrial membrane potential were inhibited in cells lacking Apaf-1. By comparison, procaspase proteolysis and apoptosis were only delayed slightly in Apaf-1-deficient Jurkat cells upon treatment with anti-Fas antibody. Our data support a model in which Apaf-1 is necessary for the cleavage or activation of all procaspases and the promotion of mitochondrial apoptotic events induced by genotoxic drugs.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of structural changes during procaspase 3 activation

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the structural rearrangements on the pathway leading to procaspase 3 activation are presented. A retrostructural approach is used to build procaspase 3 from mature caspase 3. The peptide bond that is cleaved during enzyme maturation is gradually reformed during the MD simulation and the most relevant structural changes that occur as a consequence are analyzed. The main structural features that characterize this procaspase 3 model are compared with the available X-ray structure of procaspase 7 as the only zymogen structure that has been crystallised so far. The MD simulations indicate that in the free caspase 3, the flexible selectivity loop is already preorganized to accomodate the substrate. Such a preorganization is not present in either monomeric caspase 3 or in the procaspase 3 dimer, indicating that the structure of the selectivity loop is highly sensitive to perturbations.     

利用大肠杆菌高效表达人载脂蛋白AI及其性质分析

载脂蛋白AI(apolipoproteinAI,apoAI)是高密度脂蛋白HDL的主要组成成分 ,流行病学研究表明apoAI的含量决定血浆中HDL的高低 ,而HDL具有胆固醇逆向转运的功能 ,起到降低冠心病发生概率的作用。通过大肠杆菌表达系统来生产apoAI的蛋白原proapoAI,蛋白的表达形式为包涵体 ,通过疏水柱进行柱上复性。同时在proapoAI和apoAI之间设计一个酸水解位点 ,通过将蛋白原proapoAI进行酸水解来得到成熟蛋白apoAI。最终得到的成熟蛋白apoAI在结构分析和脂结合特性上都与天然的apoAI相似 ,从而为该蛋白的工业生产上提供了一个良好的基础。     

Heavy membrane-associated caspase 3: identification, isolation, and characterization

Heavy membrane preparations from 697 lymphoblastoid cells contain a tightly bound caspase zymogen. This heavy membrane-bound procaspase can be efficiently liberated from membrane preparations using detergents. Alternatively, the procaspase can be rapidly processed and activated from membrane preparations by caspase-1 without detergents. The activated caspase-3 was purified using affinity chromatography and characterized by amino acid sequencing and inhibitor specificity analysis. The sequence indicates that this heavy membrane bound caspase is caspase-3. The kinetic properties and inhibitor binding specificity also show that this purified caspase is enzymologically indistinguishable from cytoplasmic or recombinant caspase-3. However, the N-termini of activated heavy membrane-bound and cytoplasmic caspase-3 are slightly different; peptide sequencing data indicate that the heavy membrane caspase-3 begins at Lys 14, whereas the cytoplasmic enzyme begins at Ser 10. Implications of this structural difference are discussed.     

Temporal and spatial profile of caspase 8 expression and proteolysis after experimental traumatic brain injury

Recent studies have demonstrated that the downstream caspases, such as caspase 3, act as executors of the apoptotic cascade after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in vivo. However, little is known about the involvement of caspases in the initiation phase of apoptosis, and the interaction between these initiator caspases (e.g. caspase 8) and executor caspases after experimental brain injuries in vitro and in vivo. This study investigated the temporal expression and cell subtype distribution of procaspase 8 and cleaved caspase 8 p20 from 1 h to 14 days after cortical impact-induced TBI in rats. Caspase 8 messenger RNA levels, estimated by semiquantitaive RT-PCR, were elevated from 1 h to 72 h in the traumatized cortex. Western blotting revealed increased immunoreactivity for procaspase 8 and the proteolytically active subunit of caspase 8, p20, in the ipsilateral cortex from 6 to 72 h after injury, with a peak at 24 h after TBI. Similar to our previous studies, immunoreactivity for the p18 fragment of activated caspase 3 also increased in the current study from 6 to 72 h after TBI, but peaked at a later timepoint (48 h) as compared with proteolyzed caspase 8 p20. Immunohistologic examinations revealed increased expression of caspase 8 in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Assessment of DNA damage using TUNEL identified caspase 8- and caspase 3-immunopositive cells with apoptotic-like morphology in the cortex ipsilateral to the injury site, and immunohistochemical investigations of caspase 8 and activated caspase 3 revealed expression of both proteases in cortical layers 2-5 after TBI. Quantitative analysis revealed that the number of caspase 8 positive cells exceeds the number of caspase 3 expressing cells up to 24 h after impact injury. In contrast, no evidence of caspase 8 and caspase 3 activation was seen in the ipsilateral hippocampus, contralateral cortex and hippocampus up to 14 days after the impact. Our results provide the first evidence of caspase 8 activation after experimental TBI and suggest that this may occur in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Our findings also suggest a contributory role of caspase 8 activation to caspase 3 mediated apoptotic cell death after experimental TBI in vivo.     

Corilagin inhibits breast cancer growth via reactive oxygen species‐dependent apoptosis and autophagy

Corilagin is a component of Phyllanthus urinaria extract and has been found of possessing anti‐inflammatory, anti‐oxidative, and anti‐tumour properties in clinic treatments. However, the underlying mechanisms in anti‐cancer particularly of its induction of cell death in human breast cancer remain undefined. Our research found that corilagin‐induced apoptotic and autophagic cell death depending on reactive oxygen species (ROS) in human breast cancer cell, and it occurred in human breast cancer cell (MCF‐7) only comparing with normal cells. The expression of procaspase‐8, procaspase‐3, PARP, Bcl‐2 and procaspase‐9 was down‐regulated while caspase‐8, cleaved PARP, caspase‐9 and Bax were up‐regulated after corilagin treatment, indicating apoptosis mediated by extrinsic and mitochondrial pathways occurred in MCF‐7 cell. Meanwhile, autophagy mediated by suppressing Akt/mTOR/p70S6K pathway was detected with an increase in autophagic vacuoles and LC3‐II conversion. More significantly, inhibition of autophagy by chloroquine diphosphate salt (CQ) remarkably enhanced apoptosis, while the caspase inhibitor z‐VAD‐fmk failed in affecting autophagy, suggesting that corilagin‐induced autophagy functioned as a survival mechanism in MCF‐7 cells. In addition, corilagin induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, when reduced by ROS scavenger NAC, apoptosis and autophagy were both down‐regulated. Nevertheless, in SK‐BR3 cell which expressed RIP3, necroptosis inhibitor Nec‐1 could not alleviate cell death induced by corilagin, indicating necroptosis was not triggered. Subcutaneous tumour growth in nude mice was attenuated by corilagin, consisting with the results in vitro. These results imply that corilagin inhibits cancer cell proliferation through inducing apoptosis and autophagy which regulated by ROS release.     

Caspase 3-mediated proteolysis of the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of the human erythroid anion exchanger 1 (band 3)

The N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of the anion exchanger 1 (AE1 or band 3) of the human erythrocyte associates with peripheral membrane proteins to regulate membrane-cytoskeleton interactions, with glycolytic enzymes such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and aldolase, with the protein-tyrosine kinase p72syk, with hemoglobin and with hemichromes. We have demonstrated that the N-terminal cytoplasmic domain of band 3 (CDB3) is a substrate of the apoptosis executioner caspase 3 (1). CDB3 has two non-conventional caspase 3 cleavage sites, TATD45 and EQGD205 (2). In vitro treatment of recombinant CDB3 with caspase 3 generated two fragments, which could be blocked by pretreatment with the caspase 3 inhibitor Z-DEVD-fmk (3). Recombinant CDB3 in which the caspase 3 cleavage sites Asp45 and Asp205 were mutated, was resistant to proteolysis (4). Proteolytically derived fragments crossreactive with polyclonal anti-band 3 antibody appeared with simultaneous cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase and procaspase 3 in staurosporine (STS)-treated HEK293 cells transiently transfected with CDB3 (5). In vivo cleavage of CDB3 could be blocked by pretreatment of cells with Z-DEVD-fmk or in cells transfected with mutant CDB3 (D45A, D205A) (6). Co-transfection experiments showed that STS-mediated cleavage of CDB3 diminished its interaction with the N-terminal domain of protein 4.2, confirming that such cleavage interferes with the interaction of CDB3 with cytoskeletal proteins (7). Active caspase 3 was observed in aged red cells but not in young cells. This red cell caspase 3 could cleave band 3 present in inside-out vesicles prepared from young erythrocytes arguing in favor of a physiological role of caspase 3 in aged erythrocytes.     

Transpeptidation during the analytical proteolysis of proteins

Since peptide mapping with proteolytic enzymes such as trypsin and Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease is a powerful tool for the characterization of proteins, investigators should be cognizant of possible artifacts due to the technique itself. This article describes the identification of minor peaks found in the maps of recombinant human relaxin and insulin-like growth factor I as transpeptidation products. Both proteins have some homology to insulin with relaxin being composed of two chains designated A and B, while insulin-like growth factor I is composed of a single polypeptide chain. Digestion of relaxin with trypsin at pH 7.2 yields two peptides, T2,3(A10-18) and T7(B10-13), linked together by a disulfide bond. An unexpected component at a 10% level was identified to be the T2-T7 peptide pair where T3(ArgA18) has formed a peptide bond with the amino-terminal LeuB10 of the T7 peptide. It was also observed that the digestion of insulin-like growth factor I with V8 protease normally yields two peptides V4(13-20) and V9(59-70) linked by a disulfide bridge. A minor peak at a 1 to 2% level was identified to be a single polypeptide resulting from the formation of a peptide bond between the amino-terminal Met59 of V9 and the carboxyl-terminal Asp20 of V4, with the disulfide bond intact. These transpeptidation products were isolated by reversed-phase HPLC and identified using amino-terminal sequence and mass spectrometric analyses.     

Caspase 7 can cleave tumor necrosis factor receptor-I (p60) at a non-consensus motif, in vitro.

Ligand binding to tumor necrosis factor receptor-I (TNFRI) can promote cell survival or activate the apoptotic caspase cascade. Cytoplasmic interaction of TNFRI with TRAF2 and RIP allows for the activation of JNK and NFkappaB pathways. Alternatively, a carboxy terminal death domain protein interaction motif can recruit TRADD, which then recruits FADD/MORT1, and finally procaspase 8. Aggregation of these components form a death inducing signaling complex, leading to the cleavage and activation of caspase 8. We have found that during apoptosis human TNFRI protein is lost in a caspase-dependent manner. The cytoplasmic tail of human TNFRI was found to be susceptible to caspase cleavage but not by caspase 8. Instead, the downstream executioner caspase 7 was the only caspase capable of cleaving TNFRI, in vitro. Identification and characterization of the cleavage site revealed a derivative of the classic EXD motif that incorporates a glutamate (E) in the P1 position. Using several criteria to establish that caspase activity was responsible for cleavage at this site, we confirmed that caspase 7 can cleave at a GELE motif. Mutation of the cleavage site prevented the apoptosis-associated cleavage of TNFRI. This ability of caspase 7 to cleave at a non-EXD or -DXXD motif suggests that the specificity of caspases may be broader than is currently held.     

三结构域重组FN多肽表达质粒的构建及其表达产物性质的初步鉴定

为探讨三结构域重组迁连蛋白（ＦＮ）在肿瘤治疗中的作用,构建了两个三结构域重组ＦＮ表达质粒ｐＦ９４－６２和ｐＦ９４－８２,它们分别编码两个重组多肽：ＣＨ６２（ＦＮＰｒｏ１２３９－Ｓｅｒ１５１５经Ｍｅｔ、Ａｌａ １６９０－Ｖａｌ２０４９相连）和ＣＨ８２（从ＣＨ６２中删除了ＨｅｒｐⅡＣ端和ＣｅｌｌⅡ结构域Ｎ端的Ｐｒｏ１９５３－Ｇｌｕ１９７８）。含表达质粒ｐＦ９４－８２的工程菌经３７℃培养,ＣＨ８２得到表     

Expression of recombinant human zona pellucida protein 2 and its binding capacity to spermatozoa

The human zona pellucida (ZP) is composed of three major glycoproteins: ZP1, ZP2, and ZP3. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of ZP2 by focusing on the polypeptide structure. We produced in Escherichia coli a recombinant human ZP2 protein (rec-hZP2) corresponding to amino acid sequence 1-206 of the mature protein. The final yield of rec-hZP2 protein was 80 microg/ml Luria Broth medium. After 2-h incubation of human spermatozoa with rec-hZP2 in vitro, an immunofluorescent study indicated that rec-hZP2 bound only to acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. The binding site migrated from the acrosome to the midpiece of the spermatozoa. Rabbit and mouse antisera produced against rec-hZP2 stained native human ZP in the immunofluorescent study, and significantly blocked human sperm binding and penetration into human ZP as compared to control values. The N-terminal polypeptide portion of human ZP2 was shown to contain a binding site for acrosome-reacted spermatozoa and to play an important role in secondary sperm binding and penetration into the ZP.     

Association of active caspase 8 with the mitochondrial membrane during apoptosis: potential roles in cleaving BAP31 and caspase 3 and mediating mitochondrion-endoplasmic reticulum cross talk in etoposide-induced cell death

It was recently demonstrated that during apoptosis, active caspase 9 and caspase 3 rapidly accumulate in the mitochondrion-enriched membrane fraction (D. Chandra and D. G. Tang, J. Biol. Chem.278:17408-17420, 2003). We now show that active caspase 8 also becomes associated with the membranes in apoptosis caused by multiple stimuli. In MDA-MB231 breast cancer cells treated with etoposide (VP16), active caspase 8 is detected only in the membrane fraction, which contains both mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum (ER), as revealed by fractionation studies. Immunofluorescence microscopy, however, shows that procaspase 8 and active caspase 8 predominantly colocalize with the mitochondria. Biochemical analysis demonstrates that both procaspase 8 and active caspase 8 are localized mainly on the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) as integral proteins. Functional analyses with dominant-negative mutants, small interfering RNAs, peptide inhibitors, and Fas-associated death domain (FADD)- and caspase 8-deficient Jurkat T cells establish that the mitochondrion-localized active caspase 8 results mainly from the FADD-dependent and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated death domain-dependent mechanisms and that caspase 8 activation plays a causal role in VP16-induced caspase 3 activation and cell death. Finally, we present evidence that the OMM-localized active caspase 8 can activate cytosolic caspase 3 and ER-localized BAP31. Cleavage of BAP31 leads to the generation of ER- localized, proapoptotic BAP20, which may mediate mitochondrion-ER cross talk through a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism.     

Tissue transglutaminase serves as an inhibitor of apoptosis by cross-linking caspase 3 in thapsigargin-treated cells

Thapsigargin (THG) is an inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase that induces caspase 3 activation and apoptosis in HCT116 cells through a Bax-dependent pathway. In Bax-deficient HCT116 cells, however, THG specifically generates two additional species of caspase 3, termed p40 and p64, with molecular masses of approximately 40 and 64 kDa, respectively, through unknown mechanisms. Here, we report that the Ca2+-dependent protein cross-linking enzyme tissue transglutaminase (tTGase) is involved in THG-induced p40 and p64 formation by catalyzing caspase 3 cross-linking reactions, thereby inactivating caspase 3 and apoptosis in Bax-deficient cells. Overexpression of tTGase increases p40 and p64 in THG-treated cells, and purified tTGase catalyzes procaspase 3 cross-linking in vitro. Inhibition of tTGase activity by either the tTGase inhibitor monodansylcadaverine or short-hairpin RNA reduces the cross-linked species p40 and p64 and restores caspase 3 activation in response to THG treatment. Moreover, prolonged exposure to THG results in a decrease in protein levels of XIAP and cIAP-1, which is subsequently followed by an increase in tTGase protein expression and activity. Expression of cytosolic Smac sensitizes Bax-deficient cells to THG-induced apoptosis; however, this effect is diminished by coexpression of tTGase. Taken together, these results suggest a novel role for tTGase as a new type of caspase 3 inhibitor in THG-mediated apoptosis.     

Limited Digestion of Guinea Pig Myelin Basic Protein and Its Carboxy-Terminal Fragment (Residues 89–169) with Staphylococcus aureus V8 Protease

Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease has been reported to have a strict specificity for cleavage of the Glu-X bond in ammonium bicarbonate (pH 7.9). With myelin basic protein and one of its major peptic fragments (residues 89-169) as substrates, selective cleavage of Asp(32)-Thr(33), Asp(37)-Ser(38), and Glu(118-Gly(119) bonds was observed, as well as the unusual cleavage of the Gly(127)-Gly(128) bond. The Asp-Glu and Glu-Asn bonds in the sequence of Gln-Asp-Glu-Asn-Pro(81-84) were resistant to V8 protease attack. The following peptides were identified as products of limited cleavage of basic protein by V8 protease: (1-32), (1-37), (33-169), (38-169), (33-118), (38-118), (33-127), (38-127), (119-169), and (128-169). Cleavage of the peptic peptide (89-169) yielded fragments (89-118), (89-127), (119-169), and (128-169). All peptides were identified by amino acid analysis, as well as NH2- and COOH-terminal analyses. Time course studies with basic protein showed that V8 protease initially attacked the bonds between Asp(32) and Thr(33) and Asp(37) and Ser(38). With peptide (89-169) the initial cleavage was between Glu(118) and Gly(119). Peptides (89-118) and (89-127) were encephalitogenic in the Lewis rat. The activity of these peptides in the rat confirms the presence of a minor encephalitogenic site in guinea pig basic protein. Peptide (89-127) was encephalitogenic in the guinea pig, as expected, because it contains the intact encephalitogenic site. V8 protease digestion of basic protein yields some interesting new fragments, not previously available for biologic studies.