Sarcocystis neurona merozoites were examined for their ability to invade and divide in bovine turbinate (BT) cell cultures after treatment with cysteine (iodoacetamide), aspartic (pepstatin A), metallo- (1,10-phenanthroline and ethylene glycol-bis(aminoethylether)-tetraacetic acid [EGTA]), or serine (4-[2-aminoethyl]-benzenesulfonyl fluoride hydrochloride [AEBSF], phenylmethane sulphonyl fluoride [PMSF], and tosyl lysyl chloramethyl ketone [TLCK]) protease inhibitors. Significant (P < 0.01) inhibition of serine protease activity by PMSF and TLCK led to a reduction of 86 and 78% in merozoites produced in BT cell cultures, respectively, whereas AEBSF (1 mM) led to a 68% reduction in merozoites produced in BT cell cultures and a reduction of 84 and 92% at higher AEBSF concentrations (2 and 3 mM, respectively). Pepstatin A and iodoacetamide failed to cause any inhibition in merozoite production, whereas 1,10-phenanthroline and EGTA caused slight, but not significant, inhibition at 6 and 17%, respectively. In zymograms, 2 bands of protease activity between 65- and 70-kDa molecular weight were seen. The protease activity was inhibited by AEBSF but not by E-64 (cysteine protease inhibitor), EGTA, iodoacetamide, or pepstatin A. In native zymograms, the protease activity was highest between a pH range of 8 and 10. These data suggest that merozoites of S. neurona have serine protease activity with a relative molecular weight range between 65 and 70 kDa and optimal pH range between 8 and 10, which is essential for host cell entry at least in vitro. The protease activity described here could be a potential target for chemotherapy development.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
April 2003
RESEARCH NOTES|
April 01 2003
Characterization of a Serine Protease Activity in Sarcocystis neurona Merozoites
S. C. Barr;
S. C. Barr
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853. [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
K. Warner
K. Warner
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853. [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
J Parasitol (2003) 89 (2): 385–388.
Citation
S. C. Barr, K. Warner; Characterization of a Serine Protease Activity in Sarcocystis neurona Merozoites. J Parasitol 1 April 2003; 89 (2): 385–388. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/0022-3395(2003)089[0385:COASPA]2.0.CO;2
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
LOUSY ASSOCIATIONS: SUCKING LICE (PHTHIRAPTERA: ANOPLURA) PARASITIZING RODENTS AND LAGOMORPHS IN THE DESERT NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, NEVADA
Sara B. Weinstein, John P. Dumbacher, Lance A. Durden
A NEW SPECIES OF ACANTHOBOTHRIUM (CESTODA: ONCHOPROTEOCEPHALIDEA), PARASITE OF THE GIANT ELECTRIC RAY NARCINE ENTEMEDOR JORDAN AND STARKS, 1895 (BATOIDEA: TORPEDINIFORMES) FROM MEXICO
Erick Rodríguez-Ibarra, Berenice Adán-Torres, Fernando Ruiz-Escobar, Gerardo Torres-Carrera
SEROPREVALENCE OF TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN GOATS FROM SOUTHWESTERN MISSISSIPPI, USA
Alexander D. W. Acholonu, Jamela S. Alexander
TAXES OF DICYEMIDS (PHYLUM DICYEMIDA)
Naoki Hisayama, Yuto Takeuchi, Hidetaka Furuya
TRICHINELLA MURRELLI POZIO AND LA ROSA, 2000 IN A GRAY FOX (UROCYON CINEREOARGENTEUS) FROM PENNSYLVANIA: A NEW HOST RECORD FOR THIS ZOONOTIC NEMATODE
P. C. Thompson, L. S. de Araujo, A. Gupta, S. Kay, O. C. H. Kwok, J. Battle, K. Van Why, J. D. Brown, B. M. Rosenthal, J. P. Dubey