Gene expression and activity of digestive proteases in Daphnia: effects of cyanobacterial protease inhibitors.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The frequency of cyanobacterial blooms has increased worldwide, and these blooms have been claimed to be a major factor leading to the decline of the most important freshwater herbivores, i.e. representatives of the genus Daphnia. This suppression of Daphnia is partly attributed to the presence of biologically active secondary metabolites in cyanobacteria. Among these metabolites, protease inhibitors are found in almost every natural cyanobacterial bloom and have been shown to specifically inhibit Daphnia's digestive proteases in vitro, but to date no physiological responses of these serine proteases to cyanobacterial protease inhibitors in Daphnia have been reported in situ at the protein and genetic levels.

Results

Nine digestive proteases were detected in D. ma

SUBMITTER: Schwarzenberger A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2873468 | biostudies-literature | 2010 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature