The Arabidopsis BRS1 gene encodes a serine carboxypeptidase II-like protein. Its biological role in the brassinosteroid signaling pathway was first established by its capability to specifically suppress a weak brassinosteroid insensitive 1 (bri1) allele, bri1-5, when overexpressed. To gain additional insights into the molecular mechanisms of BRS1 function, the subcellular localization and the biochemical characteristics of BRS1 were determined by using transgenic plants harboring a 35S-BRS1-GFP construct and fusion proteins purified from 35S-BRS1-FLAG transgenic plants. The BRS1-GFP protein was mainly secreted and accumulated in the extracellular space. Immunological data suggest that BRS1 is proteolytically processed by an unknown endoproteinase in planta. Affinity-purified BRS1-FLAG from transgenic plants show strong hydrolytic activity with a broad P1 substrate preference including basic and hydrophobic groups on either side of the scissile bond. The hydrolytic activity of BRS1 can be strongly inhibited by a serine protease inhibitor, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. The pH and temperature optima for the hydrolytic activity of BRS1 are pH 5.5 and 50 degrees C, respectively. These data demonstrate that BRS1 is a secreted and active serine carboxypeptidase, consistent with the hypothesis suggested by our previous genetic evidence that BRS1 may process a protein involved in an early event in the BRI1 signaling pathway.
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