Mutant forms of the Escherichia coli Lon protease with a modified N-terminal domain

The functional domain boundaries of the ATP-dependent Lon proteases were identified by comparative analysis of the amino acid sequences of the enzymes from evolutionarily distant organisms. Modified forms of the Escherichia coli Lon protease with the elongated or substituted N-terminal domain and a truncated enzyme lacking the N-terminal domain were obtained through genetic engineering methods. Analysis of the enzymatic properties of the resulting modified forms of Lon protease revealed the importance of the N-terminal domain in its function.