Evidence that aspartic proteinase is involved in the proteolytic processing event of procathepsin L in lysosomes

Our recent studies have shown that cathepsin L is first synthesized as an enzymatically inactive proform in endoplasmic reticulum and is successively converted into an active form during intracellular transport and we postulated that aspartic proteinases would be responsible for the intracellular propeptide-processing step of procathepsin L accompanied by the activation of enzyme (Y. Nishimura, T. Kawabata, and K. Kato (1988) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 261, 64-71). To better understand this proposed mechanism, we investigated the effect of pepstatin, a potent inhibitor of aspartic proteinases, on the intracellular processing kinetics of cathepsin L analyzed by pulse-chase experiments in vivo with [35S]methionine in the primary cultures of rat hepatocytes. In the pepstatin-treated cells, the proteolytic conversion of cellular procathepsin L of 39 kDa to the mature enzyme was significantly inhibited and considerable amounts of proenzyme were found in the cell after 5-h chase periods. Further, the subcellular fractionation experiments demonstrated that the intracellular processing of procathepsin L in the high density lysosomal fraction was significantly inhibited and that considerable amounts of the procathepsin L form were still observed in the light density microsomal fraction after 2 h of chase. These results suggest that pepstatin treatment caused a significant inhibitory effect on the intracellular processing and also on the intracellular movement of procathepsin L from the endoplasmic reticulum to the lysosomes. These findings provide the first evidence showing that aspartic proteinase may play an important role in the intracellular proteolytic processing and activation of lysosomal cathepsin L in vivo. Therefore, we suggest that cathepsin D, a major lysosomal aspartic proteinase, is more likely to be involved in this proposed model in the lysosomes.     

Secretion by yeast of the zymogen form of Mucor rennin, an aspartic proteinase of Mucor pusillus, and its conversion to the mature form

The Mucor rennin gene encoding a prepro-form of the fungal aspartic proteinase from Mucor pusillus was expressed under the control of the yeast GAL7 promoter in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. An inactive zymogen of the enzyme with the 44-amino-acid pro-sequence was identified in the medium during the initial stage of cultivation. Processing of the purified zymogen to the mature enzyme proceeded autocatalytically under the acidic conditions. The rate of processing was accelerated by an increase in the concentration of the zymogen or addition of the mature enzyme. The in vitro processing was inhibited by inhibitors for the aspartic proteinases. The zymogen with no proteinase activity due to a mutation at the active site residue, Asp, was still processed at a relatively slower rate in a wild-type strain of yeast, but no processing occurred in the pep4-3 mutant strain of S. cerevisiae deficient in yeast proteinase A. Thus, Mucor rennin is excreted in a form of zymogen, which is then processed in the yeast secretion pathway mainly by the autocatalytic proteolysis but, alternatively, by a proteinase of yeast.     

Characterization of rat cathepsin E and mutants with changed active-site residues and lacking propeptides and N-glycosylation, expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T cells

To study the roles of the catalytic activity, propeptide, and N-glycosylation of the intracellular aspartic proteinase cathepsin E in biosynthesis, processing, and intracellular trafficking, we constructed various rat cathepsin E mutants in which active-site Asp residues were changed to Ala or which lacked propeptides and N-glycosylation. Wild-type cathepsin E expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T cells was mainly found in the LAMP-1-positive endosomal organelles, as determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. Consistently, pulse-chase analysis revealed that the initially synthesized pro-cathepsin E was processed to the mature enzyme within a 24 h chase. This process was completely inhibited by brefeldin A and bafilomycin A, indicating its transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the endosomal acidic compartment. Mutants with Asp residues in the two active-site consensus motifs changed to Ala and lacking the propeptide (Leu23-Phe58) and the putative ER-retention sequence (Ser59-Asp98) were neither processed nor transported to the endosomal compartment. The mutant lacking the ER-retention sequence was rapidly degraded in the ER, indicating the importance of this sequence in correct folding. The single (N92Q or N324D) and double (N92Q/N324D) N-glycosylation-deficient mutants were neither processed into a mature form nor transported to the endosomal compartment, but were stably retained in the ER without degradation. These data indicate that the catalytic activity, propeptides, and N-glycosylation of this protein are all essential for its processing, maturation, and trafficking.     

Proregion of Bombyx mori cysteine proteinase functions as an intramolecular chaperone to promote proper folding of the mature enzyme.

A cDNA encoding the proform of Bombyx cysteine proteinase (BCP) was expressed at a high level in Escherichia coli using the T7 polymerase expression system. The insoluble recombinant zymogen was solubilized and renatured by modifying a method applied to human pro-cathepsin L. Like the natural BCP precursor, the recombinant proenzyme was spontaneously converted to an active proteinase at pH 3.75. A deletion in the central region of the propeptide resulted in much loss of the activity, suggesting that the propeptide is essential for proper folding during renaturation. In contrast, the renatured mature form of recombinant BCP was not active but regained activity by including the propeptide in the renaturing buffer, suggesting that the propeptide, acting as an intramolecular chaperone, promotes refolding of the associated proteinase domain into an active conformation. The mature form of natural BCP rapidly lost its activity at neutral pH, whereas its proform was stable. The mature enzyme retained some activity in the presence of the propeptide. Arch.     

Effect of proteinase inhibitors on intracellular processing of cathepsin B, H and L in rat macrophages

The effects of various proteinase inhibitors on the processing of lysosomal cathepsins B, H and L were investigated in cultured rat peritoneal macrophages. The processing of newly synthesized pro-cathepsins B, H and L to the mature single-chain enzymes was sensitive to a metal chelator,1,10-phenanthroline, and a synthetic metalloendopeptidase substrate, Z-Gly-Leu-NH2, and insensitive to inhibitors of serine proteinases, aspartic proteinases and cysteine proteinases. Inhibitors of cysteine proteinases, E-64-d and leupeptin, inhibited the processing of the single-chain forms of cathepsins B, H and L to the two-chain forms. These results suggest that (a) metal endopeptidase(s) is (are) involved in the propeptide processing of cathepsin B, H and L, and that proteolytic cleavages of the mature single-chain cathepsins are accomplished by cysteine proteinases in lysosomes.     

Processing in vitro of pronapin, the 2S storage-protein precursor of Brassica napus produced in a baculovirus expression system

The maturation of the 2S albumin, napin, in Brassica napus L. involves removal of an amino-terminal and an internal propeptide. Pulse-chase experiments with B. napus embryos showed that intermediates are detectable during the pronapin processing. Intact pronapin was expressed by baculovirus in Spodoptera frugiperda insect cells in order to obtain substrate for studying the processing event. Processing of pronapin with a crude B. napus embryo protein extract resulted in several fragments of similar sizes to those of napin heavy and light chains. The character of the major processing activity in the B. napus extract suggested that it was due to an aspartic proteinase. A secondary activity indicated an additional endo-proteinase involved in the pronapin processing. Limited proteolysis of pronapin with a purified aspartic proteinase from Hordeum vulgare showed that cleavage occurred exclusively in the prosequences. The cleavage products formed in-vitro requires additional trimming of the propeptides in order to obtain the subunits of mature napin.     

Genetic engineering of cytolytic T lymphocytes for adoptive T-cell therapy of neuroblastoma

BACKGROUND: Disease relapse is the leading cause of mortality for children diagnosed with disseminated neuroblastoma. The adoptive transfer of tumor-specific T cells is an attractive approach to target minimal residual disease following conventional therapies. We describe here the genetic engineering of human cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) to express a chimeric immunoreceptor for re-directed HLA-independent recognition of neuroblastoma. METHODS: The CE7R chimeric immunoreceptor was constructed by PCR splice overlap extension and is composed of a single-chain antibody extracellular domain (scFv) derived from the L1-CAM-specific murine CE7 hybridoma fused to human IgG1 hinge-Fc, the transmembrane portion of human CD4, and the cytoplasmic tail of huCD3-zeta chain (scFvFc:zeta). Primary human T cells were genetically modified by naked DNA electrotransfer of plasmid expression vector CE7R-pMG then analyzed by Western blotting, flow cytometry for CE7R expression and cell surface trafficking, 4-h chromium release assay for re-directed neuroblastoma lysis, and ELISA for tumor-specific activation of cytokine production. RESULTS: CE7R is expressed as an intact chimeric protein that trafficks to the cell surface as a type I transmembrane protein. Primary human CE7R-expressing CD8(+) CTL clones specifically recognize human neuroblastoma tumor cells and are activated for tumor cell lysis and T(c)1 cytokine production. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate the utility of CE7R for re-directing the effector function of CTL to neuroblastoma and have provided the rationale to initiate a FDA-authorized (BB-IND#9149) pilot clinical trial to establish the feasibility and safety of adoptive transfer of autologous CE7R(+)CD8(+) CTL clones to children with recurrent/refractory neuroblastoma.     

Involvement of propeptides in formation of catalytically active metalloproteinase from Thermoactinomyces sp

The metalloproteinase from Thermoactinomyces sp. 27a (Mpr) represents secretory thermolysin-like metalloproteinases of the M4 family. The Thermoactinomyces enzyme is synthesized as a precursor consisting of a signal peptide, N-terminal propeptide, mature region, and C-terminal propeptide. The functional molecule lacks the signal peptide, N-terminal propeptide, and C-terminal propeptide, which indicates the processing of these regions. Until now, it remained unclear if the N-terminal propeptide is involved in the formation and functioning of Mpr, and the role of the C-terminal propeptide was also unclear. In this work, a Bacillus subtilis AJ73 strain expressing Mpr without the C-terminal propeptide- encoding region being involved has been obtained. The absence of the Mpr C-terminal propeptide had no significant effect on the formation of the functional molecule and did not interfere with the protease secretion in B. subtilis AJ73 cells. Strains producing the N-terminal propeptide, mature region, and mature region covalently bound to the N-terminal propeptide were generated from Escherichia coli BL-21(DE3) cells. Functionally active Mpr forms could be produced only in the presence of the N-terminal propeptide, either covalently bound to the mature region (in cis) or as a separate molecule (in trans). Thus, the Mpr three-dimensional structure is formed according to the propeptide-assisted mechanism with no requirement of a covalent bond between the N-terminal propeptide and mature region. Moreover, Mpr variants generated in cis and in trans differed in their specificity for certain synthetic substrates.     

A furin-like convertase mediates propeptide cleavage of BACE, the Alzheimer's beta -secretase

The novel transmembrane aspartic protease BACE (for Beta-site APP Cleaving Enzyme) is the beta-secretase that cleaves amyloid precursor protein to initiate beta-amyloid formation. As such, BACE is a prime therapeutic target for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. BACE, like other aspartic proteases, has a propeptide domain that is removed to form the mature enzyme. BACE propeptide cleavage occurs at the sequence RLPR downward arrowE, a potential furin recognition motif. Here, we explore the role of furin in BACE propeptide domain processing. BACE propeptide cleavage in cells does not appear to be autocatalytic, since an inactive D93A mutant of BACE is still cleaved appropriately. BACE and furin co-localize within the Golgi apparatus, and propeptide cleavage is inhibited by brefeldin A and monensin, drugs that disrupt trafficking through the Golgi. Treatment of cells with the calcium ionophore, leading to inhibition of calcium-dependent proteases including furin, or transfection with the alpha(1)-antitrypsin variant alpha(1)-PDX, a potent furin inhibitor, dramatically reduces cleavage of the BACE propeptide. Moreover, the BACE propeptide is not processed in the furin-deficient LoVo cell line; however, processing is restored upon furin transfection. Finally, in vitro digestion of recombinant soluble BACE with recombinant furin results in complete cleavage only at the established E46 site. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that furin, or a furin-like proprotein convertase, is responsible for cleaving the BACE propeptide domain to form the mature enzyme.     

Effect of propeptide mutations on post-translational processing of factor IX. Evidence that beta-hydroxylation and gamma-carboxylation are independent events

Post-translational processing of Factor IX includes glycosylation, cleavage of the signal peptide and propeptide, vitamin K-dependent carboxylation of specific glutamic acid residues to form gamma-carboxyglutamic acid, and beta-hydroxylation of aspartic acid at residue 64 to form beta-hydroxyaspartic acid. The human Factor IX cDNA coding sequence was modified in the propeptide region (residue -18 to -1) using oligonucleotide-directed site-specific mutagenesis, and the altered Factor IX cDNA was expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells. The effects of the mutations on proteolytic processing, gamma-carboxylation, and beta-hydroxylation were assessed by direct structural analysis. After purification, the molecular weight of each of the recombinant Factor IX species and its NH2-terminal amino acid sequence were shown to be identical to those of plasma Factor IX. gamma-Carboxyglutamic acid and beta-hydroxyaspartic acid analyses revealed that recombinant wild-type Factor IX contained 9.2 gamma-carboxyglutamic acid and 0.3 beta-hydroxyaspartic acid residues/molecule compared with 11.4 gamma-carboxyglutamic acid and 0.39 beta-hydroxyaspartic acid residues in plasma Factor IX. When the 18-residue propeptide was deleted or when the cells were grown in the presence of sodium warfarin, secreted Factor IX contained no detectable gamma-carboxyglutamic acid but 0.36 and 0.40 residues of beta-hydroxyaspartic acid, respectively. Point mutations leading to substitution of alanine for phenylalanine at residue -16 or glutamic acid for alanine at residue -10 contained 0.2 and 1.7 gamma-carboxyglutamic acid residues, respectively, and 0.2 residues of beta-hydroxyaspartic acid. These data confirm that the propeptide mutations made do not interfere with proteolytic processing and that the Factor IX propeptide contains a recognition site that designates the adjacent glutamic acid-rich domain for gamma-carboxylation. In contrast, beta-hydroxylation of aspartic acid 64 is an independent process which does not require vitamin K and is mediated through a hydroxylation recognition site in the mature Factor IX, not in the propeptide.     

A chimeric transmembrane domain directs endothelial nitric-oxide synthase palmitoylation and targeting to plasmalemmal caveolae

The endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS), a key signaling protein, undergoes a series of covalent modifications, including co-translational N-myristoylation at Gly(2), as well as post-translational thiopalmitoylation at Cys(15) and Cys(26). Myristoylation of eNOS is required for the subsequent palmitoylation of the enzyme, and both acylations are required for the efficient subcellular targeting of eNOS to plasmalemmal caveolae. We constructed chimeric cDNAs encoding proteins comprised of various acylation-deficient eNOS mutants fused at their N termini to the hydrophobic transmembrane domain of the glycoprotein CD8 and characterized these constructs in transient transfection experiments in COS-7 cells. One construct (termed CD8-myr(-)eNOS) encodes a fusion protein comprised of the eNOS myristoylation-deficient mutant coupled to the CD8 transmembrane domain. In biosynthetic labeling experiments using [(3)H]palmitic acid, we found that the CD8-myr(-)eNOS chimera undergoes palmitoylation. Subcellular fractionation showed that the CD8-myr(-)eNOS chimera is targeted to caveolae. We also constructed and characterized a cDNA encoding the CD8 transmembrane domain fused to the palmitoylation-deficient mutant eNOS (in which Cys(15) and Cys(26) are changed to serine). This chimera (termed CD8-myr(-).palm(-)eNOS) did not undergo palmitoylation, indicating that the palmitoylation seen with the CD8. myr(-)eNOS fusion protein occurs on the same residues as in the wild-type enzyme. Importantly, the CD8-myr(-).palm(-)eNOS fusion protein remained efficiently targeted to caveolae, in contrast to the palm(-)eNOS mutant lacking the CD8 transmembrane domain, which has nominal caveolar localization. A construct encoding the CD8 transmembrane domain alone was insufficient for selective targeting to caveolae. These results indicate that membrane targeting per se, but not necessarily myristoylation, is sufficient for eNOS palmitoylation and localization to plasmalemmal caveolae, and suggest further that sequences within eNOS itself, in addition to its palmitoylation sites, facilitate the selective localization of the enzyme within caveolae.     

Remodeling of the epitope repertoire of a candidate idiotype vaccine by targeting to lysosomal degradation in dendritic cells

The generation of efficacious vaccines against self-antigens expressed in tumor cells requires breakage of tolerance, and the refocusing of immune responses toward epitopes for which tolerance may not be established. While the presentation of tumor antigens by mature dendritic cells (mDC) may surpass tolerance, broadening of the antigenic repertoire remains an issue. We report that fusion of the candidate idiotype vaccine IGKV3-20 to the Gly-Ala repeat (GAr) of the Epstein-Barr virus nuclear antigen (EBNA)-1 inhibits degradation by the proteasome and redirects processing to the lysosome. mDCs transduced with a recombinant lentivirus encoding the chimeric idiotype efficiently primed CD4+ and CD8+ cytotoxic T-cell (CTL) responses that lysed autologous blasts expressing IGKV3-20 or pulsed with IGKV3-20 synthetic peptides, and HLA-matched IGKV3-20-positive tumor cell lines. Comparison of the cytotoxic response of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes activated by mDCs expressing the wild-type or chimeric IGKV3-20 reveled largely non-overlapping epitope repertoires in both CD4+ and CD8+ effectors. Thus, fusion to the GAr may provide an effective means to broaden the immune response to an endogenous protein by promoting the presentation of antigenic epitopes that require a lysosome-dependent processing step.     

Isolation and sequencing of a genomic clone encoding aspartic proteinase of Rhizopus niveus.

A gene encoding Rhizopus niveus aspartic proteinase was isolated from an R. niveus genomic library by using oligonucleotides probes corresponding to its partial amino acid sequence, and its nucleotide sequence was determined. By comparing its deduced amino acid sequence with the amino acid sequence of rhizopuspepsin (5, 26), we concluded that the R. niveus aspartic proteinase gene has an intron within its coding region and that it has a preproenzyme sequence of 66 amino acids upstream of the mature enzyme of 323 amino acids.     

Molecular cloning and characterization of procirsin,an active aspartic protease precursor from Cirsium vulgare (Asteraceae)

Typical aspartic proteinases from plants of the Astereaceae family like cardosins and cyprosins are well-known milk-clotting enzymes. Their effectiveness in cheesemaking has encouraged several studies on other Astereaceae plant species for identification of new vegetable rennets. Here we report on the cloning, expression and characterization of a novel aspartic proteinase precursor from the flowers of Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten. The isolated cDNA encoded a protein product with 509 amino acids, termed cirsin, with the characteristic primary structure organization of plant typical aspartic proteinases. The pro form of cirsin was expressed in Escherichia coli and shown to be active without autocatalytically cleaving its pro domain. This contrasts with the acid-triggered autoactivation by pro-segment removal described for several recombinant plant typical aspartic proteinases. Recombinant procirsin displayed all typical proteolytic features of aspartic proteinases as optimum acidic pH, inhibition by pepstatin, cleavage between hydrophobic amino acids and strict dependence on two catalytic Asp residues for activity. Procirsin also displayed a high specificity towards κ-casein and milk-clotting activity, suggesting it might be an effective vegetable rennet.The findings herein described provide additional evidences for the existence of different structural arrangements among plant typical aspartic proteinases.     

Equistatin, a protease inhibitor from the sea anemone actinia equina, is composed of three structural and functional domains

A cDNA encoding a precursor of equistatin, a potent cysteine and aspartic proteinase inhibitor, was isolated from the sea anemone Actinia equina. The deduced amino acid sequence of a 199-amino-acid residue mature protein with 20 cysteine residues, forming three structurally similar thyroglobulin type-1 domains, is preceded by a typical eukaryotic signal peptide. The mature protein region and those coding for each of the domains were expressed in the periplasmic space of Escherichia coli, isolated, and characterized. The whole recombinant equistatin and its first domain, but not the second and third domains, inhibited the cysteine proteinase papain (K(i) 0.60 nM) comparably to natural equistatin. Preliminary results on inhibition of cathepsin D, supported by structural comparison, show that the second domain is likely to be involved in activity against aspartic proteinases.     

General function of N-terminal propeptide on assisting protein folding and inhibiting catalytic activity based on observations with a chimeric thermolysin-like protease

Pro-aminopeptidase processing protease (PA protease) is a thermolysin-like metalloprotease produced by Aeromonas caviae T-64. The N-terminal propeptide acts as an intramolecular chaperone to assist the folding of PA protease and shows inhibitory activity toward its cognate mature enzyme. Moreover, the N-terminal propeptide strongly inhibits the autoprocessing of the C-terminal propeptide by forming a complex with the folded intermediate pro-PA protease containing the C-terminal propeptide (MC). In order to investigate the structural determinants within the N-terminal propeptide that play a role in the folding, processing, and enzyme inhibition of PA protease, we constructed a chimeric pro-PA protease by replacing the N-terminal propeptide with that of vibriolysin, a homologue of PA protease. Our results indicated that, although the N-terminal propeptide of vibriolysin shares only 36% identity with that of PA protease, it assists the refolding of MC, inhibits the folded MC to process its C-terminal propeptide, and shows a stronger inhibitory activity toward the mature PA protease than that of PA protease. These results suggest that the N-terminal propeptide domains in these thermolysin-like proteases may have similar functions, in spite of their primary sequence diversity. In addition, the conserved regions in the N-terminal propeptides of PA protease and vibriolysin may be essential for the functions of the N-terminal propeptide.     

The role of the cathepsin D propeptide in sorting to the lysosome.

The propeptides of lysosomal enzymes have been implicated in membrane association and mannose 6-phosphate-independent sorting to the lysosome (Rijnboutt, S., Aerts, H., Geuze, H. J., Tager, J. M., and Strous, G. J. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 4862-4868; McIntyre, G. F., and Erickson, A. H. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 15438-15445). In this report, the function of the propeptide of procathepsin D in sorting to the lysosome was directly assessed using a cathepsin D deletion mutant lacking the propeptide, and using a chimeric cDNA encoding the cathepsin D propeptide fused to the secretory protein alpha-lactalbumin. Proteins encoded by these cDNAs were expressed in mouse Ltk- cells and in human hepatoma Hep G2 cells, and then immunoprecipitated and analyzed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The deletion mutant was glycosylated but was rapidly degraded in a chloroquine-independent fashion and did not assume an active conformation. Thus the propeptide appeared to be necessary for correct folding. The chimeric protein was glycosylated and secreted. The coincidence of complex oligosaccharide modification and secretion of the chimeric protein suggested that it was slowly released from the endoplasmic reticulum and rapidly passed through the cell to the extracellular compartment. This was confirmed by immunofluorescent localization of the proteins. The data indicated that the propeptide appeared to be necessary for folding of cathepsin D but, unlike the yeast vacuolar propeptides, was not sufficient to direct a secretory protein to the lysosome in fibroblasts or in epithelial cells.     

Specific inhibition of mature fungal serine proteinases and metalloproteinases by their propeptides.

The function of the long propeptides of fungal proteinases is not known. Aspergillus fumigatus produces a 33-kDa serine proteinase of the subtilisin family and a 42-kDa metalloproteinase of the thermolysin family. These extracellular enzymes are synthesized as preproenzymes containing large amino-terminal propeptides. Recombinant propeptides were produced in Escherichia coli as soluble fusion proteins with glutathione S-transferase or thioredoxin and purified by affinity chromatography. A. fumigatus serine proteinase propeptide competitively inhibited serine proteinase, with a Ki of 5.3 x 10(-6) M, whereas a homologous serine proteinase from A. flavus was less strongly inhibited and subtilisin was not inhibited. Binding of metalloproteinase propeptide from A. fumigatus to the mature metalloenzyme was demonstrated. This propeptide strongly inhibited its mature enzyme, with a Ki of 3 x 10(-9) M, whereas thermolysin and a metalloproteinase from A. flavus were not inhibited by this propeptide. Enzymatically inactive metalloproteinase propeptide complex could be completely activated by trypsin treatment. These results demonstrate that the propeptides of the fungal proteinases bind specifically and inhibit the respective mature enzymes, probably reflecting a biological role of keeping these extracellular enzymes inactive until secretion.     

Crystal structure of plant aspartic proteinase prophytepsin: inactivation and vacuolar targeting.

We determined at 2.3 A resolution the crystal structure of prophytepsin, a zymogen of a barley vacuolar aspartic proteinase. In addition to the classical pepsin-like bilobal main body of phytepsin, we also traced most of the propeptide, as well as an independent plant-specific domain, never before described in structural terms. The structure revealed that, in addition to the propeptide, 13 N-terminal residues of the mature phytepsin are essential for inactivation of the enzyme. Comparison of the plant-specific domain with NK-lysin indicates that these two saposin-like structures are closely related, suggesting that all saposins and saposin-like domains share a common topology. Structural analysis of prophytepsin led to the identification of a putative membrane receptor-binding site involved in Golgi-mediated transport to vacuoles.