Evaluation of the Hydrolysis Specificity of an Aminopeptidase from Bacillus licheniformis SWJS33 Using Synthetic Peptides and Soybean Protein Isolate

The substrate specificity of aminopeptidases has often been determined against aminoacyl-p-nitroanilide; thus, its specificity toward synthetic peptides and complex substrates remained unclear. The hydrolysis specificity of an aminopeptidase from Bacillus licheniformis SWJS33 (BLAM) was evaluated using a series of synthetic peptides and soybean protein isolate. The aminopeptidase showed high specificity for dipeptides with Leu, Val, Ala, Gly, and Phe at the N-terminus, and the specificity was significantly affected by the nature of the penultimate residue. In the hydrolysis of soy protein isolate, BLAM preferred peptides with Leu, Glu, Gly, and Ala at the N-terminus by free amino acid analysis and preferred peptides with Leu, Ala, Ser, Trp, and Tyr at the N-terminus by UPLC-MS/MS. The introduction of complex substrates provides a deeper understanding of the aminopeptidase’s specificity, which can instruct the application of the enzyme in protein hydrolysis.