Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Prolyl Endopeptidase from Human T Cells1

The prolyl endopeptidase (PEP) gene of human T cells was amplified by the PCR method and cloned in Escherichia coli. The complete gene consisted of 2,130 nucleotides corresponding to 710 amino acid residues with a calculated molecular mass of 80,750. The nucleotide sequence of this clone revealed that T cell PEP DNA is 48, 50, and 91% homologous to those of Flavobacterium meningosepticum, Aeromonas hydrophila, and porcine brain PEP,...