Abstract
Protease function is essential to many biological systems and processes. In parasites, proteases are essential for host tissue degradation, immune evasion, and nutrition acquisition. Helminths (worms) depend on several classes of proteases for development, host tissue invasion and migration, and for degradation of host hemoglobin and serum proteins. The protozoa, which cause malaria, depend on both cysteine and aspartic proteases to initiate host hemoglobin digestion. Other types of proteases are involved in erythrocyte cell invasion and cell exit. Surface metalloproteases in kinetoplastids are implicated in the evasion of complement-mediated cell lysis and cell entry. Cysteine proteases in Entamoeba facilitate invasion of the host colon. Giardia utilizes a cysteine protease for both encystation and excystation. This review will summarize published data using protease inhibitors as tools to identify the function of parasite proteases in the development, virulence, and pathogenesis of parasites; as well as the role of endogenous parasite protease inhibitors in regulation.
Keywords: Development, digestion, helminths, hemoglobin, kinetoplastids, nutrition acquisition, parasites, pathogenesis, proteases, protease inhibitors, protozoa, virulence factors.
Current Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Synthetic and Natural Protease Inhibitors Provide Insights into Parasite Development, Virulence and Pathogenesis
Volume: 20 Issue: 25
Author(s): A. A. Rascon and J. H. McKerrow
Affiliation:
Keywords: Development, digestion, helminths, hemoglobin, kinetoplastids, nutrition acquisition, parasites, pathogenesis, proteases, protease inhibitors, protozoa, virulence factors.
Abstract: Protease function is essential to many biological systems and processes. In parasites, proteases are essential for host tissue degradation, immune evasion, and nutrition acquisition. Helminths (worms) depend on several classes of proteases for development, host tissue invasion and migration, and for degradation of host hemoglobin and serum proteins. The protozoa, which cause malaria, depend on both cysteine and aspartic proteases to initiate host hemoglobin digestion. Other types of proteases are involved in erythrocyte cell invasion and cell exit. Surface metalloproteases in kinetoplastids are implicated in the evasion of complement-mediated cell lysis and cell entry. Cysteine proteases in Entamoeba facilitate invasion of the host colon. Giardia utilizes a cysteine protease for both encystation and excystation. This review will summarize published data using protease inhibitors as tools to identify the function of parasite proteases in the development, virulence, and pathogenesis of parasites; as well as the role of endogenous parasite protease inhibitors in regulation.
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Cite this article as:
Rascon A. A. and McKerrow H. J., Synthetic and Natural Protease Inhibitors Provide Insights into Parasite Development, Virulence and Pathogenesis, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2013; 20 (25) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867311320250005
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867311320250005 |
Print ISSN 0929-8673 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-533X |
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