Functional expression of a novel Kunitz type protease inhibitor from the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Schistosomes are able to survive for prolonged periods in the blood system, despite continuous contact with coagulatory factors and mediators of the host immune system. Protease inhibitors likely play a critical role in host immune modulation thereby promoting parasite survival in this extremely hostile environment. Even though Kunitz type serine protease inhibitors have been shown to play important physiological functions in a range of organisms these proteins are less well characterised in parasitic helminths.

Methods

We have cloned one gene sequence from S. mansoni, Smp_147730 (SmKI-1) which is coded for single domain Kunitz type protease inhibitor, E. coli-expressed and purified. Immunolocalisation and western blotting was carried out using affinity purified p

SUBMITTER: Ranasinghe SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4524284 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature