title: Leishmania metacaspase: an arginine-specific peptidase.
abstract: The purpose of this chapter is to give insights into metacaspase of Leishmania protozoan parasites as arginine-specific cysteine peptidase. The physiological role of metacaspase in Leishmania is still a matter of debate, whereas its peptidase enzymatic activity has been well characterized. Among the different possible expression systems, metacaspase-deficient yeast cells (Δyca1) have been instrumental in studying the activity of Leishmania major metacaspase (LmjMCA). Here, we describe techniques for purification of LmjMCA and its activity measurement, providing a platform for further identification of LmjMCA substrates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Iveth
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fasel
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D020169:Caspases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D057056:Cysteine Proteases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000201:enzymology; D008967:Molecular Biology / Q000379:methods*; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*
chemical_list: D001120:Arginine; D057056:Cysteine Proteases; D010447:Peptide Hydrolases; D020169:Caspases