title: Crithidia fasciculata contains a transcribed leishmanial surface proteinase (gp63) gene homologue.
abstract: We have cloned and analysed a gene from the insect parasite, Crithidia fasciculata, with homology to the gp63 metalloendoproteinase gene of Leishmania. The Crithidia gene homologue is arranged as a multicopy family comprised of approximately 7 genes. The mature transcript is 4.0 kb. The predicted amino acid sequence has significant homology with Leishmania gp63s, contains a zinc-binding motif and a potential site for addition of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. Demonstration of a gp63 homologue in C. fasciculata, a monogenetic parasite, suggests that the molecule may play a role in parasite survival within the insect gut.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Inverso
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Medina-Acosta
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Cross
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D005075:Biological Evolution; D016831:Crithidia fasciculata / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D007891:Leishmania / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D008666:Metalloendopeptidases; C055146:glycoprotein gp63, Leishmania