title: Hydrolysis of L-leucine methyl ester by Leishmania mexicana mexicana amastigote cysteine proteinases.
abstract: The main cysteine proteinases of the amastigote form of Leishmania mexicana mexicana were partially purified by gel filtration and ion exchange chromatography. The latter procedure resulted in the separation of some individual cysteine proteinases, as demonstrated by gelatin-sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Fractions containing the partially purified proteinases rapidly hydrolysed L-leucine methyl ester to leucine. The activity towards this compound co-eluted with and resembled the parasite's cysteine proteinase activity. The results suggest that amastigotes of L.m.mexicana are susceptible to L-leucine methyl ester because this compound is rapidly hydrolysed by cysteine proteinases that occur in abundance in the megasomes of this stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hunter
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lockwood
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Coombs
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000201:enzymology*; D007930:Leucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C030365:leucine methyl ester; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D007930:Leucine