Specific cleavage of beta-amyloid peptides by a metallopeptidase from Xenopus laevis skin secretions.

Dactylysin (EC 3.5.24.60) is a metalloendopeptidase first isolated from the skin granular gland secretions of Xenopus laevis. This peptidase hydrolyzes bonds on the amino-terminus of singlets and between doublets of hydrophobic amino acids and was considered to play a role in the in vivo inactivation of biologically active regulatory peptides. Here, we show that dactylysin has also the ability to cleave human beta[1-40]-amyloid peptide and related peptides. Cleavage of the wild type beta[1-40]-amyloid peptide form, and to a lesser extent Flemish and Dutch mutants, occurred predominantly at the His14-Glu15 bond. We demonstrate that frog skin exudate contains a full-length amyloid protein precursor detected by immunochemical cross-reactivity with monoclonal antibody against C-terminal human amyloid protein precursor. The possibility that dactylysin, might be involved in normal catabolism of beta amyloid peptide of Xenopus laevis is discussed.
(Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.)