Deoxyribonuclease activity in Echinococcus granulosus protoscoleces and hydatid fluid.
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.
Rosenzvit
M C
MC
Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Tomchinsky
S E
SE
Garberi
J C
JC
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
D004247:DNA; D003851:Deoxyribonucleases