Background: Photoreceptor cell death due to extensive light exposure and induced oxidative-stress are associated with retinal degeneration. A correlated dysregulation of the complement system amplifies the damaging effects, but the local and time-dependent progression of this mechanism is not thoroughly understood. Methods: Light-induced photoreceptor damage (LD) was induced in Balb/c mice with...

the impact of three different fabaceous host plants including cowpea (vigna unguiculata), chickpea (cicer arietinum), and mung bean (vigna radiata) seeds was investigated using biochemical approaches on possible changes of gut proteolytic activity of the cowpea weevil, callosobruchus maculatus at 30±1˚c and 70±5% rh and a photoperiod of 8:16 (l:d). results revealed that ph of 4-5 and 9 was opti...

In arthropods, the melanization reaction is associated with multiple host defense mechanisms leading to the sequestration and killing of invading microorganisms. Arthropod melanization is controlled by a cascade of serine proteases that ultimately activates the enzyme prophenoloxidase (PPO), which, in turn, catalyzes the synthesis of melanin. Here we report the biochemical and genetic character...

Matriptase is an epithelial type II transmembrane serine protease with a complex modular structure and sophisticated activation mechanism. Reduced matriptase activity in mice or humans is associated with incomplete terminal differentiation of epidermis, epidermal appendages, oral epithelium, and, likely, other epithelial structures. Preliminary evidence indicates that matriptase is part of a se...

Human kallikrein-related peptidases (KLKs) are 15 homologous serine proteases involved in several (patho)physiological processes, including cancer. Secreted as precursors, they are activated upon proteolytic release of a short pro-peptide. We searched for interconnection of KLKs within extracellular proteolytic networks leading to activation of protease zymogens and found that (i) pro-KLK activ...

Several alphaherpesviruses breach the basement membrane during mucosal invasion. In the present study, the role of proteases in this process was examined. The serine protease-specific inhibitor AEBSF inhibited penetration of the basement membrane by the porcine alphaherpesvirus pseudorabies virus (PRV) by 88.1% without affecting lateral spread. Inhibitors of aspartic-, cysteine-, and metallopro...