Role of the prophenoloxidase-activating system in invertebrate immunity.
The melanization reaction, which is a common response to parasite entry in invertebrate animals, especially arthropods, is due to the activity of an oxidoreductase, phenoloxidase. This enzyme is part of a complex system of proteinases, pattern recognition proteins and proteinase inhibitors constituting the so-called prophenoloxidase-activating system. It is proposed to be a non-self recognition system because conversion of prophenoloxidase to active enzyme can be brought about by minuscule amounts of molecules such as lipopolysaccharide, peptidoglycan and beta-1, 3-glucans from micro-organisms. Several components of this system recently have been isolated and their structure determined.
Söderhäll
K
K
Division of Physiological Mycology, University of Uppsala, Sweden. kenneth.soderhall@fysbot.uu.se
Cerenius
L
L
D000818:Animals; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000502:physiology*; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000502:physiology*; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000276:immunology*; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
D004792:Enzyme Precursors; C038451:pro-phenoloxidase; D004156:Catechol Oxidase; D014442:Monophenol Monooxygenase