title: EspC, an autotransporter protein secreted by enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), displays protease activity on human hemoglobin.
abstract: Some enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strains, which are an important cause of diarrhea among infants, secrete a serine protease autotransporter protein called EspC. The pathogenic role of EspC upon EPEC infection is unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that purified EspC protein, obtained from supernatants of EPEC cultures, interacted with hemoglobin and degraded it. Moreover, we have shown that EspC is a hemin-binding protein. We hypothesized that hemoglobin proteolysis by EspC may contribute to the utilization of heme and hemoglobin iron for bacterial growth.
authors.affiliation: Departmento de Sistemas Biológicos, UAM-Xochimilco, México D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Maria Elisa
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Drago-Serrano
authors.forename: Sandra Gavilanes
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.forename: H Angel
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Manjarrez-Hernández
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology*; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D000081062:Heme-Binding Proteins; D006420:Hemeproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006427:Hemin / Q000378:metabolism; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D029968:Escherichia coli Proteins; C102541:EspC protein, E coli; D000081062:Heme-Binding Proteins; D006420:Hemeproteins; D006454:Hemoglobins; D006427:Hemin; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases