Cleavage Specificity of Coxsackievirus 3C Proteinase for Peptide Substrate

Abstract

The substrate requirements of coxsackievirus 3C proteinase (3C^pro) were investigated on the C-terminal side of the scissile bond using C-terminal truncated peptides of the substrate peptide Ac-EALFQGPPV. Not only the Gln-Gly bond of Ac-EALFQG-NH₂ but also the C-terminal amide group of Ac-EALFQ-NH₂ was hydrolyzed by 3C^pro, suggesting that the essential residues for cleavage by coxsackievirus 3C^pro would exist within the N-terminal 5 residues.