Anthrax lethal factor endopeptidase (, ''lethal toxin'') is an

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

that catalyzes the hydrolysis of

mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase (also known as MAP2K, MEK, MAPKK) is a dual-specificity kinase enzyme which phosphorylates mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). MAP2K is classified as . There are seven genes: * (a.k.a. MEK1) * (a ...

s. This enzyme is a component of the lethal factor produced by the bacterium ''

Bacillus anthracis ''Bacillus anthracis'' is a gram-positive and rod-shaped bacterium that causes anthrax, a deadly disease to livestock and, occasionally, to humans. It is the only permanent (obligate) pathogen within the genus ''Bacillus''. Its infection is a ty ...

''. The preferred cleavage site can be denoted by BBBBxHxH, in which B denotes a basic amino acid Arg or Lys, H denotes a hydrophobic amino acid, and x is any amino acid.

References

EC 3.4.24 {{enzyme-stub