A new colorimetric assay for methionyl aminopeptidases: Examination of the binding of a new class of pseudopeptide analog inhibitors

A direct and convenient spectrophotometric assay has been developed for methionine aminopeptidases (MetAPs). The method employs the hydrolysis of a substrate that is a methionyl analogue of p-nitroaniline (l-Met-p-NA), which releases the chromogenic product p-nitroaniline. This chromogenic product can be monitored continuously using a UV–Vis spectrophotometer set at 405 nm. The assay was tested with the type I MetAP from Escherichia coli (EcMetAP-I) and the type II MetAP from Pyrococcus furiosus (PfMetAP-II). Using l-Met-p-NA, the kinetic constants kcat and Km were determined for EcMetAP-I and PfMetAP-II and were compared with those obtained with a “standard” high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) discontinuous assay. The assay has also been used to determine the temperature dependence of the kinetic constant kcat for PfMetAP-II as well as to screen two novel pseudopeptide inhibitors of MetAPs. The results demonstrate that l-Met-p-NA provides a fast, convenient, and effective substrate for both type I and type II MetAPs and that this substrate can be used to quickly screen inhibitors of MetAPs.