BACKGROUND Proteinase activities are often measured using chromogenic substrates that are much smaller than physiological substrates. METHODS The hydrodynamic size of macromolecular substrates (macrosubstrates) prepared by linking small chromogenic substrates to polyethylene glycol was determined by gel filtration. Efficiency of macrosubstrate cleavage by proteinases and alpha(2)-macroglobuli...

facilitating distinction among the different types of aspartic proteinases. Thus, while considerable progress has been made in elucidating the structure, activity and importance (biological and commercial) of the aspartic proteinases, much remains to be learned about the distinctions in molecular architecture and how these are reflected in the functions of the various enzymes. Inhibitors (natur...

Cells found in atherosclerotic plaques express matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Human atheromata contain a broad array of proteases (Table 1) and their endogenous inhibitors. Altered balance between proteinases and their inhibitors may participate in a number of biological processes important in the clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis.1 For example, matrix remodeling must occur during c...

Rita de Cássia Mardegan1 Mary Ann Foglio2 Reginaldo Bruno Gonçalves3 José Francisco Höfling4 1DDS, MSc, Graduate Student at the University of Campinas – Piracicaba Dental School Department of Oral Diagnosis, São Paulo, Brazil 2DDS, PhD, Professor Research Center for Chemistry, Biology and Agriculture (CPQBA) Department of Phytochemical, University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil 3DDS, PhD, Profe...

Two metallo-proteinases of human neutrophil leucocytes, collagenase and gelatinase, were studied. Collagenase specifically cleaved native collagen into the TCA and TCB fragments, whereas gelatinase degraded denatured collagen, i.e. gelatin, and the TCA fragments produced by collagenase. On subcellular fractionation by zonal sedimentation, collagenase was found to be localized in the specific gr...

Human trichomonosis, infection with Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease in the world. The host-parasite interaction and pathophysiological processes of trichomonosis remain incompletely understood. This review focuses on the advancements reached in the area of the pathogenesis of T. vaginalis, especially in the role of the cysteine proteinases. It hi...