The world's first wiki where authorship really matters (Nature Genetics, 2008). Due credit and reputation for authors. Imagine a global collaborative knowledge base for original thoughts. Search thousands of articles and collaborate with scientists around the globe.

wikigene or wiki gene protein drug chemical gene disease author authorship tracking collaborative publishing evolutionary knowledge reputation system wiki2.0 global collaboration genes proteins drugs chemicals diseases compound
Hoffmann, R. A wiki for the life sciences where authorship matters. Nature Genetics (2008)
 
 
 
 
 

Cysteine proteinase activities in the fish pathogen Philasterides dicentrarchi (Ciliophora: Scuticociliatida).

This study investigated protease activities in a crude extract and in vitro excretion/secretion (E/S) products of Philasterides dicentrarchi, a ciliate fish parasite causing economically significant losses in aquaculture. Gelatin/SDS-PAGE analysis (pH 4, reducing conditions) detected 7 bands with gelatinolytic activity (approximate molecular weights 30-63 kDa) in the crude extract. The banding pattern observed in analysis of E/S products was practically identical, except for 1 low-molecular-weight band detected in the crude extract but not in the E/S products. In assays with synthetic peptide p-nitroanilide substrates, the crude extract hydrolysed substrates characteristic of cysteine proteases, namely Z-Arg-Arg pNA, Bz-Phe-Val-Arg pNA and Z-Phe-Arg pNA. These activities were strongly inhibited by the cysteine protease inhibitor E-64 and by Ac-Leu-Val-Lys aldehyde, a potent inhibitor of cysteine proteases of the cathepsin B protease subfamily. The proteases present in the crude extract degraded both type-I collagen and haemoglobin in vitro, consistent with roles in tissue invasion and nutrition respectively. Again, E-64 completely (collagen) or markedly (haemoglobin) inhibited this degradation. Finally, the histolytic activity of the ciliate in turbot fibroblast monolayers was strongly reduced in the presence of E-64, confirming the importance of secreted cysteine proteinases in the biology of Philasterides dicentrarchi.[1]

References

  1. Cysteine proteinase activities in the fish pathogen Philasterides dicentrarchi (Ciliophora: Scuticociliatida). Paramá, A., Iglesias, R., Alvarez, M.F., Leiro, J., Ubeira, F.M., Sanmartín, M.L. Parasitology (2004) [Pubmed]
 
WikiGenes - Universities