SummaryThe 20S proteasome is an essential component of the cytosolic protein turnover apparatus of eukaryotic cells. In higher eukaryotes, the 20S proteasome is responsible for most cytosolic protein turnover and also generates peptides for subsequent presentation by the MHC class I pathway. Structurally, the eukaryotic 20S proteasome is extremely complex, being composed of 14 different subunits. Proteasomes with simplified subunit composition have been identified in certain eubacteria and archaebacteria but, in each case, the proteasome-containing organism is recalcitrant to further molecular genetic analyses. As a result, no in vivo characterization of a simplified eubacterial or archaebacterial proteasome has been reported. We have shown that the genetically tractable eubacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis contains a 20S proteasome, allowing the first in vivo characterization of a simplified 20S proteasome. We use a positive/ negative selection scheme to inactivate the genes encoding 20S proteasome subunits and demonstrate that, in contrast to eukaryotic cells, M. smegmatis cells lacking intact proteasome genes are viable and phenotypically indistinguishable from congenic strains containing proteasomes. Implications for the evolution of the protein turnover apparatus are discussed.

We have charterized a Mycobacterium smegmatis gene encoding a homolog of the ATP-dependent protease Lon (La). Our identification of a Lon homolog, in conjunction with our previous work, identifies M. smegmatis as the first known example of a eubacterium containing both Lon and a complete 20S proteasome (containing both alpha- and beta-subunits). Despite the significant primary sequence divergence between M. smegmatis Lon (Ms-Lon) and E. coli Lon (Ec-Lon), expression of Ms-Lon was only moderately toxic to E. coli cells. The ability of E. coli cells to tolerate expression of Ms-Lon reveals that Ms-Lon does not recognize and degrade essential E. coli proteins. We conclude that discrimination against nonsubstrate proteins is broadly conserved between Ec-Lon and Ms-Lon. Additional conservation of substrate recognition was demonstrated by the ability of Ms-Lon to degrade efficiently RcsA, a natural substrate of Ec-Lon. Purified Ms-Lon displays chymotrypsin-like specificity in peptidase assays that are stimulated by unfolded protein and supported by nonhydrolyzed nucleotide analogs. Maximal peptidase activity requires ATP or dATP. Replacement of Ms-Lon's catalytic Ser with Ala (S675A), Thr (S675T), or Cys (S675C) reduced to background levels Ms-Lon's in vitro peptidase activity. However, by employing a sensitive in vivo assay, based on the degradation of RcsA, we demonstrated that the S675C variant retained specific protease activity. Finally, variants of Ms-Lon, with substututions at or near S675, reduce the enzyme's basal ATPase activity, suggesting a structural interaction between the peptidase and ATPase active sites of Ms-Lon.

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