title: Protease activity of Blastocystis hominis.
abstract: Parasite-derived proteases are important for the parasite life cycle and the pathogenesis of the disease they produce. Proteases of intestinal protozoan parasite Blastocystis hominis were studied for the first time with azocasein assays and gelatin SDS-PAGE analysis. Parasitic lysates were found to have high protease activity and nine protease bands of low (20-33 kDa) and high (44-75 kDa) molecular weights were reported. Proteases were found to be pH-dependent and highest proteolytic activity was observed at neutral pH. Inhibition studies showed that B. hominis isolate B, like many other protozoan parasites, contains mainly cysteine proteases.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Parasitology, Department of Microbiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 5 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117597, Singapore.
authors.forename: Selena W S
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Sio
authors.forename: Manoj K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Puthia
authors.forename: Alex S Y
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Kevin S W
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016845:Blastocystis hominis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006801:Humans; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases