The promastigote surface protease of Leishmania.
The infective forms o f several protozoan parasites are covered with a limited number o f major surface proteins. In this respect, Leishmania is no exception, and recent investigations have demonstrated on promostigotes the presence o f a single surface glycoprotein. In contrast to the major surface proteins o f other protozoans which have no known enzymatic activities, the surface protein of Leishmania. is a protease which is active on living cells. In this review, Clement Bordier presents the current structural, functional and immunological information concerning this intriguing and potentially important enzyme.
Institut de Biochimie, Université de Lausanne, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
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