title: Deoxyribonuclease activity in Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces and hydatid fluid.
abstract: Deoxyribonuclease activity was detected in E. granulosus protoscoleces from sheep hydatid cysts by electrophoresis in agarose gels of DNA fragments obtained after incubation of integral DNA with a protoscoleces preparation. Preliminary characterization showed that deoxyribonuclease activity was optimal at neutral-alkaline pH, magnesium ions were required, and it was able to digest different types of DNA, making random cuts. Electrophoresis in DNA-containing sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gels indicated a relative molecular mass, under non-reducing conditions, of 32 kDa. Deoxyribonuclease activity was also found in sheep hydatid fluid. It shared optimal pH, ionic and substrate requirements with the enzyme from protoscoleces but had a higher relative molecular mass (40 kDa), the same as that of normal sheep serum deoxyribonuclease.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Rosenzvit
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Tomchinsky
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Garberi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004247:DNA / Q000378:metabolism; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases / Q000378:metabolism*; D004445:Echinococcosis, Pulmonary / Q000469:parasitology; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000201:enzymology*; D004587:Electrophoresis, Agar Gel; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D012756:Sheep; D012757:Sheep Diseases / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D004247:DNA; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases