Search results for "Serine Endopeptidase"
showing 10 items of 70 documents
Substrate determinants for cleavage in cis and in trans by the hepatitis C virus NS3 proteinase
1995
Processing of the hepatitis C virus polyprotein is accomplished by a series of cotranslational and posttranslational cleavages mediated by host cell signalases and two virally encoded proteinases. Of these the NS3 proteinase is essential for processing at the NS3/4A, NS4A/4B, NS4B/5A, and NS5A/5B junctions. Processing between NS3 and NS4A occurs in cis, implying an intramolecular reaction mechanism, whereas cleavage at the other sites can also be mediated in trans. Sequence analysis of the amino termini of mature cleavage products and comparisons of amino acid residues around the scissile bonds of various hepatitis C virus isolates identified amino acid residues which might contribute to su…
Cytotoxic effects of antibodies to proteinase 3 (C-ANCA) on human endothelial cells.
1994
SUMMARY Autoantibodies directed against cytoplasmic antigens of neutrophils (ANCA), especially those with specificity for proteinase 3 (PR-3) and myeloperoxidase, are valuable markers for differential diagnosis and monitoring of disease activity in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) and other vasculitides. Till now, several concepts concerning a direct role of antibodies against PR-3 in the pathogenesis of WG have been discussed. Recently we were able to show that these antibodies recognize PR-3 translocated into the membrane of human endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to investigate putative cytotoxic effects of antibodies to PR-3 on human endothelial cells. Antibodies were obtained b…
An Ovalbumin Peptide-Specific Cytotoxic T Cell Clone with Antigen Self-Presentation Capacity Uses Two Distinct Mechanisms to Kill Target Cells
1993
Abstract Cloned 10BK.1 T cells with specificity for the ovalbumin peptide OVA257-264 are representative of a novel cell type within the CD8 + subset of T cells. In the presence and in the absence of added antigen presenting cells these T cells react toward antigen (Ag) by proliferation and lymphokine production. These data suggest self-presentation of the Ag by 10BK.1 cells. Here we present evidence that 10BK.1 cells exhibit cytotoxic activity that involves two different cytotoxic effector mechanisms. (i) One mechanism is fast killing activity, apparent within 4 hr. Constitutive mouse T cell-specific proteinase-1 (MTSP-1) activity, constitutive expression of MTSP-1 RNA, increased by Ag chal…
Mast cells promote homeostasis by limiting endothelin-1-induced toxicity
2004
Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a 21-amino-acid peptide, derived from vascular endothelial cells, with potent vasoconstrictor activity. ET-1 has been implicated in diverse physiological or pathological processes, including the vascular changes associated with sepsis. However, the factors that regulate ET-1-associated toxicity during bacterial infections, or in other settings, are not fully understood. Both the pathology associated with certain allergic and autoimmune disorders, and optimal host defence against bacterial and parasitic infections are mediated by mast cells. In vitro, mast cells can produce ET-1 (ref. 11), undergo ET-1-dependent and endothelin-A receptor (ET(A))-dependent activation, a…
Antibodies to proteinase 3 increase adhesion of neutrophils to human endothelial cells
1993
SUMMARY The detection of anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA), especially those with specificity for proteinase 3, is important in the diagnosis and in monitoring disease activity of Wegener's granulomatosis and related vasculitides. An ubiquitous feature of all ANCA-associated acute vascular injury is lytic necrosis. Adhesion of neutrophils to endothelium is a fundamental early step of the inflammatory response. Recently we were able to show that ANCA recognize their target antigen (proteinase 3) translocated into the membrane of human endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ANCA on the adhesion of neutrophils to human endothelial cells. Incubatio…
Bacteriophage GIL01 gp7 interacts with host LexA repressor to enhance DNA binding and inhibit RecA-mediated auto-cleavage
2015
The SOS response in Eubacteria is a global response to DNA damage and its activation is increasingly associated with the movement of mobile genetic elements. The temperate phage GIL01 is induced into lytic growth using the host's SOS response to genomic stress. LexA, the SOS transcription factor, represses bacteriophage transcription by binding to a set of SOS boxes in the lysogenic promoter P1. However, LexA is unable to efficiently repress GIL01 transcription unless the small phage-encoded protein gp7 is also present. We found that gp7 forms a stable complex with LexA that enhances LexA binding to phage and cellular SOS sites and interferes with RecA-mediated auto-cleavage of LexA, the ke…
Phage-borne factors and host LexA regulate the lytic switch in phage GIL01.
2011
ABSTRACT The Bacillus thuringiensis temperate phage GIL01 does not integrate into the host chromosome but exists stably as an independent linear replicon within the cell. Similar to that of the lambdoid prophages, the lytic cycle of GIL01 is induced as part of the cellular SOS response to DNA damage. However, no CI-like maintenance repressor has been detected in the phage genome, suggesting that GIL01 uses a novel mechanism to maintain lysogeny. To gain insights into the GIL01 regulatory circuit, we isolated and characterized a set of 17 clear plaque ( cp ) mutants that are unable to lysogenize. Two phage-encoded proteins, gp1 and gp7, are required for stable lysogen formation. Analysis of …
Alternatively spliced transcripts of the thymus-specific protease PRSS16 are differentially expressed in human thymus.
2004
The putative serine protease PRSS16 is abundantly expressed in the thymic cortex and the gene is encoded within the HLA I complex. Although its function is not yet defined, the very restricted expression points to a role in T-cell development in the thymus. In this study, we show that the PRSS16 mRNA is alternatively spliced to generate at least five transcripts. Apart from the full-length sequence, we found two other isoforms with all putative active site residues of the serine protease, suggesting that those variants may also be functional. Semi-quantitative analysis of the splice variants in different tissue samples revealed a strong correlation between the specific formation of alternat…
TMPRSS4 is a type II transmembrane serine protease involved in cancer and viral infections.
2012
Abstract Proteolytic enzymes are involved in almost all biological processes reflecting their importance in health and disease. The human genome contains nearly 600 protease-encoding genes forming more than 2% of the total human proteome. The serine proteases, with about 180 members, built the oldest and second largest family of human proteases. Ten years ago, a novel serine protease family named the type II transmembrane family (TTSP) was identified. This minireview summarizes the up-to-date knowledge about the still growing TTSPs, particularly focusing on the pathophysiological functions of the family member type II transmembrane serine protease (TMPRSS) 4. Recent studies provided importa…
Acanthamoeba isolates belonging to T1, T2, T3, T4 and T7 genotypes from environmental freshwater samples in the Nile Delta region, Egypt.
2006
The free-living amoebae of the genus Acanthamoeba include non-pathogenic and pathogenic species and has been recently classified into 15 different genotypes, T1–T15. In this study, a survey was conducted in order to determine the presence and pathogenic potential of free-living amoebae of Acanthamoeba genus in freshwater sources associated with human activities in the Nile Delta region, Egypt. Identification of Acanthamoeba was based on the morphology of cyst and trophozoite forms and PCR amplification with a genus specific primer pair. The pathogenic potential of Acanthamoeba isolates was characterized using temperature and osmotolerance assays and PCR reactions with two primer pairs speci…