Thimet Oligopeptidase Biochemical and Biological Significances: Past, Present, and Future Directions

• Published in: Biomolecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 10; no. 9; p. 1229
• Main Authors: Ferro, Emer S, Gewehr, Mayara C F, Navon, Ami
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24.08.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Amino acids; Antigen presentation; Cloning; Crystal structure; Cytoplasm; Diet; Enzymes; Fatty liver; Insulin; Insulin resistance; Major histocompatibility complex; Metabolism; Metalloproteinase; microRNA; miRNA; mRNA; Neuropeptides; Oligopeptidase; peptidase; peptide metabolism; Peptides; Phenotypes; protease; proteasome; Proteasomes; Protein interaction; protein-protein interaction; Proteins; Review; Steatosis; Thimet oligopeptidase; Zinc; protease; proteasome; microRNA; protein-protein interaction; peptide metabolism; peptidase
• ISSN: 2218-273X; 2218-273X
• DOI: 10.3390/biom10091229

Thimet oligopeptidase (EC 3.4.24.15; EP24.15, THOP1) is a metallopeptidase ubiquitously distributed in mammalian tissues. Beyond its previously well characterized role in major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I) antigen presentation, the recent characterization of the THOP1 C57BL6/N null mice (THOP1 ) phenotype suggests new key functions for THOP1 in hyperlipidic diet-induced obesity, insulin resistance and non-alcoholic liver steatosis. Distinctive levels of specific intracellular peptides (InPeps), genes and microRNAs were observed when comparing wild type C57BL6/N to THOP1 fed either standard or hyperlipidic diets. A possible novel mechanism of action was suggested for InPeps processed by THOP1, which could be modulating protein-protein interactions and microRNA processing, thus affecting the phenotype. Together, research into the biochemical and biomedical significance of THOP1 suggests that degradation by the proteasome is a step in the processing of various proteins, not merely for ending their existence. This allows many functional peptides to be generated by proteasomal degradation in order to, for example, control mRNA translation and the formation of protein complexes.