title: Characterization, biomedical and agricultural applications of protease inhibitors: A review.
abstract: This review describes Protease Inhibitors (PIs) which target or inhibit proteases, protein digesting enzymes. These proteases play a crucial task in many biological events including digestion, blood coagulation, apoptosis etc. Regardless of their crucial roles, they need to be checked regularly by PIs as their excess may possibly damage host organism. On basis of amino acid composition of PIs where Protease-PI enzymatic reactions occur i.e. serine, cysteine, and aspartic acid, they are classified. Nowadays, various PIs are being worked upon to fight various parasitic or viral diseases including malaria, schistosomiasis, colds, flu', dengue etc. They prevent an ongoing process begun by carcinogen exposure by keeping a check on metastasis. They also possess potential to reduce carcinogen-induced, increased levels of gene amplification to almost normal levels. Some PIs can principally be used for treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure by blocking conversion of angiotensin I to angiotensin II for example Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs). Also PIs target amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) level in brain which is prime responsible for development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Also, PIs inhibit enzymatic activity of HIV-1 Protease Receptor (PR) by preventing cleavage events in Gag and Gag-Pol that result in production of non-virulent virus particles.
authors.affiliation: Genes and Proteins Lab., Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India.
authors.forename: Tooba Naz
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Shamsi
authors.affiliation: Genes and Proteins Lab., Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India.
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parveen
authors.affiliation: Genes and Proteins Lab., Department of Biotechnology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India. Electronic address: amu.jmi@rediffmail.com.
authors.forename: Sadaf
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fatima
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research; D006801:Humans; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors
keywords: Agriculture; Alzheimer’s disease; Cancer; Cardiovascular disease; HIV; Plant pathology; Protease inhibitors; Proteases