Lys-N Explained

Lys-N is a metalloendopeptidase found in the mushroom Grifola frondosa that cleaves proteins on the amino side of lysine residues.^[1]

Mass spectrometry

Lys-N is becoming a popular protease used for protein digestion in proteomics experiments. The combination Lys-N proteolytic peptides and mass spectrometry sequencing with ETD creates tandem mass spectra composed mostly of amino terminal peptide fragment ions.^[2] This fragmentation pattern facilitates the applicability of these spectra for de novo peptide sequencing.

See also

• Endoproteinase Lys-C
• Mass spectrometry
• Tandem mass spectrometry
• Bottom-up proteomics

External links

• The MEROPS online database for peptidases and their inhibitors: M35.004
• Coverage on Genomeweb
• Enzyme entry at SWISS-PROT

Notes and References

1. Nonaka T, Hashimoto Y, Takio K . Kinetic characterization of lysine-specific metalloendopeptidases from Grifola frondosa and Pleurotus ostreatus fruiting bodies . Journal of Biochemistry . 124 . 1 . 157–62 . July 1998 . 9644258 . 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jbchem.a022074.
2. Taouatas N, Drugan MM, Heck AJ, Mohammed S . Straightforward ladder sequencing of peptides using a Lys-N metalloendopeptidase . Nature Methods . 5 . 5 . 405–7 . May 2008 . 18425140 . 10.1038/nmeth.1204. 28504546 .