Patent ID: 6875851

Claim:
An isolated nucleic acid, the complement of which hybridizes to SEQ ID NO:38 under hybridization conditions of 0.5 M phosphate buffer, pH 7.2, 7% SDS, 10 mM EDTA, at 68° C., followed by three 20 minute washes in 2×SSC, and 0.1% SDS, at 65° C., wherein the isolated nucleic acid encodes a protein having prolyl-tripeptidyl peptidase amidolytic activity comprising SEQ ID NO:30, wherein prolyl-tripeptidyl peptidase amidolytic activity is defined as activity for cleaving a peptide bond between the proline and the Yaa residues in a target polypeptide of the general formula NH 2 -Xaa-Xaa-Pro-Yaa-(Xaa) n , wherein Xaa is a natural or modified amino acid, Yaa is a natural or modified amino acid except proline, and the α-amino of the amino terminal residue is not blocked, and wherein prolyl-tripeptidyl peptidase amidolytic activity is determined under conditions including a prolyl tripeptidyl-peptidase:target polypeptide ratio of at least about 1:1 to no greater than about 1:10,000,000 in about 200 mM HEPES, about pH 7.5 at 37° C. for at least about 3 hours.