Properties of a cytoplasmic proteolytic enzyme from Escherichia coli

A cytoplasmic protease was partially purified from Escherichia coli; its sedimentation coefficient was found to be 5.3 S. This enzyme (which we call protease A) is not a serine protease and cysteine is not required for its activity; it is only active in the presence of divalent ions which are strongly bound to it. After inactivation of protease A by incubation at 50 degrees C in the presence of 1 mM EDTA, the enzyme is reactived by Mg2+, Mn2+ or Ca2+. We have tried most of the usual esters as substrates and found that none was hydrolyzed by the enzyme which induces a highly restricted specificity.