Identification of the active-site serine in human lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase

Lecithin:cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) from human plasma reacts stoichiometrically with diisopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP) resulting in the complete loss of transacylase activity. Purified LCAT was covalently labeled with [3H] DFP and the labeled protein was reduced and carboxymethylated. Cyanogen bromide cleavage followed by gel permeation chromatography yielded a peptide of 4-5 KDa (LCAT CNBr-III) containing most of the radioactive label. Preliminary studies comparing the amino acid composition of the LCAT-CNBr-III with the sequence of LCAT indicate that this peptide corresponds to fragment 168-220. Automated Edman degradation of the radioactive peptide recovered a radioactive PTC-amino acid at cycle 14. Of all predicted CNBr fragments only peptide 168-220 contained a serine at residue 14 from the amino terminus of the peptide. The authors conclude that serine 181 is the active site serine of LCAT