Analysis of zymograms with SDS-polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis containing gelatin as substrate, and performed on samples of haemolymph or fat body taken from Rhodnius prolixus inoculated or not with Enterobacter cloacae, demonstrated distinct patterns of protease activities: (i) in the haemolymph two proteases were induced in insects inoculated with bacteria; (ii) two proteases were detected...

The human lysosomal cysteine proteases are a family of 11 proteases whose members include cathepsins B, C, H, L, and S. The biology of these proteases was largely ignored for decades because of their lysosomal location and the belief that their function was limited to the terminal degradation of proteins. In the past 10 years, this view has changed as these proteases have been found to have spe...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although serine proteases and agonists of protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR2) cause inflammation and pain, the spectrum of proteases that are activated by proinflammatory and algesic stimuli and their contribution to inflammatory pain are uncertain. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Enzymic assays and selective inhibitors were used to characterize protease activity in mice after i...

The human immune system consists of an intricate network of tightly controlled pathways, where proteases are essential instigators and executioners at multiple levels. Invading microbial pathogens also encode proteases that have evolved to manipulate and dysregulate host proteins, including host proteases during the course of disease. The identification of pathogen proteases as well as their su...

Bats of different species play a major role in the emergence and transmission of highly pathogenic viruses including Ebola virus, SARS-like coronavirus and the henipaviruses. These viruses require proteolytic activation of surface envelope glycoproteins needed for entry, and cellular cathepsins have been shown to be involved in proteolysis of glycoproteins from these distinct virus families. Ve...

Lysosomal cysteine proteases are a family comprising > 10 enzymes. For many years it was believed that these enzymes catalyse protein breakdown unselectively, are highly redundant in their substrate specificity and are also expressed ubiquitously. This view has changed dramatically since a number of new lysosomal cysteine proteases with restricted expression and outstanding enzymatic activity h...

Proteases, one among the three largest groups of industrial enzymes, accounts for about 60% of the total worldwide sale of enzymes from biological sources since they possess almost all characteristics desired for their biotechnological applications (Adinarayana et al., 2003). Among the various proteases, bacterial protease was the most significant compared with animal, fungi and plant protease....

The activity of lysosomal proteolytic enzymes (cathepsin A, B, C, D and E) in cytosol, in the liver homogenate, and in the blood plasma of rats intoxicated with methanol and ethanol was measured 6, 12 and 24 h; and 2, 5, and 7 days after intoxication. The activity of all proteases was increased in the cytosol from 12h to 5 days of alcohol intoxication, whereas the activity of these enzymes was ...

Proteases are very important industrial enzymes, which contribute about 60% of the total world enzyme market. Among the various proteases, bacterial proteases are the most significant, compared with animal and fungal proteases (Rahman et al., 1994) and among bacteria, Bacillus sp are specific producers of extra-cellular proteases (Coolbear et al., 1992; Banerjee et al., 1999). These enzymes hav...

RATIONALE Endothelial cells have the ability to undergo endothelial-mesenchymal transitions (EndMTs), by which they acquire a mesenchymal phenotype and stem cell-like characteristics. We previously found that EndMTs occurred in the endothelium deficient in matrix γ-carboxyglutamic acid protein enabling endothelial cells to contribute cells to vascular calcification. However, the mechanism respo...