Reaction: Preferred amino acids around the cleavage site can be denoted BBBBxHxH, in which B denotes Arg or Lys, H denotes a hydrophobic amino acid, and x is any amino acid. The only known protein substrates are mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase kinases
Other name(s): lethal toxin
Comments: From the bacterium Bacilus anthracis that causes anthrax. One of three proteins that are collectively termed anthrax toxin. Cleaves several MAP kinase kinases near their N-termini, preventing them from phosphorylating the downstream mitogen-activated protein kinases. In peptidase family M34.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MEROPS, Metacyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 477950-41-7
1. Pannifer, A.D., Wong, T.Y., Schwarzenbacher, R., Renatus, M., Petosa, C., Bienkowska, J., Lacy, D.B., Collier, R.J., Park, S., Leppla, S.H., Hanna, P. and Liddington, R.C. Crystal structure of the anthrax lethal factor. Nature 414 (2001) 229-233. [PMID: 11700563]