Presence of a Dipeptidyl Aminopeptidase III in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The soluble fraction of a cell extract of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was found to contain hydrolytic activity toward arginyl-arginyl-β-naphthylamide (Arg-Arg-βNA). Most of the contaminating Arg-βNA hydrolysis activity was removed by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-cellulose column chromatography and the enzyme was partially purified. It is very similar in various properties to mammalian dipeptidyl aminopeptidase III (DAP III), although it differs slightly in some respects.