| abstract |
The invention provides enzymes having an amidase activity, for example, catalyzing the removal of arginine, phenylalanine or methionine from the N-terminal end of polypeptides or peptides, e.g., in peptide or peptidomimetic synthesis. Amidase activities of the enzymes of the invention include deamidating peptide amides or N-terminally protected amino acids, the racemate splitting of N-protected amino acid amides, and for converting amides to carboxylic acids. In one aspect, an enzyme of the invention specifically acts on an (S)-amide; thus, it can be used to stereospecifically convert a mixture of (R)- and (S)-amides to the corresponding enantiomeric (S)-carboxylic acid. |