Localization of eimeripain, an Eimeria tenella cathepsin B-like cysteine protease, during asexual and sexual intracellular development in chicken ceca.

ABSTRACT: Hemorrhagic diarrhea in poultry is caused by Eimeria tenella, the most pathogenic avian coccidian parasite, and new approaches to treat the disease are continually being sought. Although eimeripain, a cathepsin B-like cysteine protease from E. tenella, has recently been identified as a novel anticoccidial drug target, its localization during the intracellular development of parasites remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate the expression of eimeripain during asexual and sexual development of E. tenella in vivo. Promature eimeripain was detected only in the early immature second generation of schizonts. In contrast, the mature eimeripain was most strongly detected in the middle-sized immature second generation of schizonts. Both promature and mature eimeripain disappeared depending on the mat

SUBMITTER: Matsubayashi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4064137 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature