RESUMO
Antibiotic resistance continues to be an emerging threat both in clinical and environmental settings. Among the many causes, the impact of postchlorinated human wastewater on antibiotic resistance has not been well studied. Our study compared antibiotic susceptibility among Aeromonas spp. in postchlorinated effluents to that of the recipient riverine populations for three consecutive years against 12 antibiotics. Aeromonas veronii and Aeromonas hydrophila predominated among both aquatic environments, although greater species diversity was evident in treated wastewater. Overall, treated wastewater contained a higher prevalence of nalidixic acid-, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (SXT)-, and tetracycline-resistant isolates, as well as multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates compared to upstream surface water. After selecting for tetracycline-resistant strains, 34.8% of wastewater isolates compared to 8.3% of surface water isolates were multidrug resistant, with nalidixic acid, streptomycin, and SXT being the most common. Among tetracycline-resistant isolates, efflux pump genes tetE and tetA were the most prevalent, though stronger resistance correlated with tetA. Over 50% of river and treated wastewater isolates exhibited cytotoxicity that was significantly correlated with serine protease activity, suggesting many MDR strains from effluent have the potential to be pathogenic. These findings highlight that conventionally treated wastewater remains a reservoir of resistant, potentially pathogenic bacterial populations being introduced into aquatic systems that could pose a threat to both the environment and public health.IMPORTANCE Aeromonads are Gram-negative, asporogenous rod-shaped bacteria that are autochthonous in fresh and brackish waters. Their pathogenic nature in poikilotherms and mammals, including humans, pose serious environmental and public health concerns especially with rising levels of antibiotic resistance. Wastewater treatment facilities serve as major reservoirs for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and resistant bacterial populations and are, thus, a potential major contributor to resistant populations in aquatic ecosystems. However, few longitudinal studies exist analyzing resistance among human wastewater effluents and their recipient aquatic environments. In this study, considering their ubiquitous nature in aquatic environments, we used Aeromonas spp. as bacterial indicators of environmental antimicrobial resistance, comparing it to that in postchlorinated wastewater effluents over 3 years. Furthermore, we assessed the potential of these resistant populations to be pathogenic, thus elaborating on their potential public health threat.
Assuntos
Aeromonas/isolamento & purificação , Farmacorresistência Bacteriana , Rios/microbiologia , Eliminação de Resíduos Líquidos , Águas Residuárias/microbiologia , Aeromonas/enzimologia , Aeromonas hydrophila/enzimologia , Aeromonas hydrophila/isolamento & purificação , Aeromonas veronii/enzimologia , Aeromonas veronii/isolamento & purificação , Proteínas de Bactérias/análise , Cidades , Halogenação , Illinois , Estudos Longitudinais , Fenótipo , Estações do Ano , Serina Proteases/análise , Especificidade da EspécieRESUMO
Bacillus subtilis produces eight industrially important exo-proteases. For the detection of proteases, the activity- and antibody-based assays are normally used. Current activity-based assays require expensive multiplex chemical substrates which allow specificity determination of each enzyme. In this study, we provide evidences pertaining to the usefulness of the label-free multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) assay for a rapid identification and quantitation of specific proteins in bacteria. We used wild-type B. pumilus cells producing at least two serine proteases, subtilisin-like protease (AprBp) and glutamyl endopeptidase (GseBp), as well as optimized recombinant B. subtilis cells containing the same protease genes under control of the LIKE expression system. The Skyline software was used for the selection of three specific proteotypic peptides and their fragment ions for quantification and confirmation of AprBp and GseBp in complex mixtures. MRM indicated that the production of AprBp and GseBp exo-enzymes were respectively 0.9- and 26.6-fold higher in the culture medium of B. pumilus strain in comparison to the recombinant B. subtilis strains carrying optimized LIKE expression systems under identical conditions. The developed procedure in this study is fast, easy to perform and dependable. Additionally, it achieves accurate proteins identification and quantification in complex mixture.
Assuntos
Bacillus pumilus/química , Bacillus subtilis/química , Proteínas de Bactérias/análise , Espectrometria de Massas/métodos , Proteômica/métodos , Proteínas Recombinantes/análise , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/análise , Serina Endopeptidases/análise , Serina Proteases/análise , SoftwareRESUMO
The shelterin protein complex protects natural chromosome ends from being recognized as DNA damage sites and also regulates the synthesis of telomeric repeats by telomerase. TPP1, a shelterin subunit that is essential for telomerase extension of telomeres, has been studied intensively in recent years. Many such studies utilize epitope tagged TPP1, but it is unclear how the tags may affect the multiple cellular functions of TPP1. Here we analyzed the effect of adding a 3x Flag epitope tag to the N- or C-terminus of TPP1. While the position of the tag did not affect TPP1's interaction within the shelterin complex or its localization to telomeres, the N-terminal Flag tag on TPP1 impaired telomerase function, resulting in reduced telomerase processivity in vitro and a failure to stimulate telomere elongation in vivo. The C-terminally Flag-tagged TPP1, in contrast, behaved similarly to untagged TPP1 in all functional aspects examined. These findings suggest that caution is required when utilizing epitope tagged TPP1 to study its regulation of telomerase function.
Assuntos
Aminopeptidases/metabolismo , Dipeptidil Peptidases e Tripeptidil Peptidases/metabolismo , Mapeamento de Interação de Proteínas/métodos , Serina Proteases/metabolismo , Complexo Shelterina , Telomerase/metabolismo , Proteínas de Ligação a Telômeros , Aminopeptidases/análise , Dipeptidil Peptidases e Tripeptidil Peptidases/análise , Células HCT116 , Células HeLa , Humanos , Mapas de Interação de Proteínas , Serina Proteases/análise , Complexo Shelterina/metabolismo , Homeostase do Telômero , Proteínas de Ligação a Telômeros/metabolismoRESUMO
Honey is a unique natural product produced by European honeybees. Due to its high economic value, honey is considered to be well characterized chemically, and it is often discovered to be an adulterated commodity. However, this study shows that our knowledge of honey protein composition, which is of high medical and pharmaceutical importance, is incomplete. In this in-depth proteomic study of 13 honeys, we identified a number of proteins that are important for an understanding of honey properties and merit additional pharmaceutical research. Our major result is an expanded understanding of the proteins underlying honey's antimicrobial properties, such as hymenoptaecin and defensin-1, glucose dehydrogenase isoforms, venom allergens and other venom-like proteins, serine proteases and serine protease inhibitors, and a series of royal jelly proteins. In addition, we performed quantitative comparisons of all of the proteins previously known or newly identified. The honey proteins, determined using label-free nLC-MS/MS in which the same protein quantity was analyzed in one series, were found in relatively similar proportions, although eucalyptus honey differed most widely from the remaining honeys. Overall, the proteome analysis indicated that honeybees supply proteins to honey in a relatively stable ratio within each proteome, but total protein quantity can differ by approximately an order of magnitude in different honeys.
Assuntos
Alérgenos/análise , Antibacterianos/farmacologia , Ácidos Graxos/química , Mel/análise , Proteômica/métodos , Serina Proteases/análise , Inibidores de Serina Proteinase/análise , Peçonhas/análiseRESUMO
Snakebite envenoming is a serious medical problem in different areas of the world. In Latin America, the major prevalence is due to snakes of the family Viperidae, where rattlesnakes (Crotalus) are included. They produce hemotoxic venom which causes bleeding, tissue degradation and necrosis. Each venom has several enzymatic activities, producing different effects in the envenoming, doing its clinical effects difficult to study. Comparison between venom molecules is also difficult when different techniques are used, and therefore, their identification/characterization using the same methodology is necessary. In this work, a general biochemical characterization in snake venom of serine proteases (SVSP), phospholipases A2 (PLA2), metalloproteases (SVMP) and hyaluronidases (SVH) of Crotalus aquilus (Ca), Crotalus polystictus (Cp) and Crotalus molossus nigrescens (Cmn) was done. Differences in protein pattern, enzyme content and enzymatic activities were observed. All the venoms showed high PLA2 activity, high molecular weight SVSP, and a wide variety of SVMP and SVH forms. Ca and Cp showed the highest enzymatic activities of SVMP and SVSP trypsin-like and chymotrypsin-like, whereas Cmn showed the highest SVH and similar PLA2 activity with Ca. All the venoms showed peptides with similar molecular weight to crotamine-like myotoxins. No previous biochemical characterization of C. aquilus has been reported and there are no previous analyses that include these four protein families in these Crotalus venoms.
Assuntos
Hidrolases/metabolismo , Hidrolases/toxicidade , Venenos de Serpentes/enzimologia , Animais , Crotalus , Metaloproteases/análise , México , Serina Proteases/análise , Especificidade da EspécieRESUMO
Neutrophils, the front line defenders against infection, express four serine proteases (NSPs) that play roles in the control of cell-signaling pathways and defense against pathogens and whose imbalance leads to pathological conditions. Dissecting the roles of individual NSPs in humans is problematic because neutrophils are end-stage cells with a short half-life and minimal ongoing protein synthesis. To gain insight into the regulation of NSP activity we have generated a small-molecule chemical toolbox consisting of activity-based probes with different fluorophore-detecting groups with minimal wavelength overlap and highly selective natural and unnatural amino acid recognition sequences. The key feature of these activity-based probes is the ability to use them for simultaneous observation and detection of all four individual NSPs by fluorescence microscopy, a feature never achieved in previous studies. Using these probes we demonstrate uneven distribution of NSPs in neutrophil azurophil granules, such that they seem to be mutually excluded from each other, suggesting the existence of unknown granule-targeting mechanisms.
Assuntos
Corantes Fluorescentes/química , Neutrófilos/enzimologia , Imagem Óptica , Serina Proteases/análise , Serina Proteases/metabolismo , Humanos , Conformação MolecularRESUMO
Activity-based probes are small molecules that covalently bind to the active site of a protease in an activity-dependent manner. We synthesized and characterized two fluorescent activity-based probes that target serine proteases with trypsin-like or elastase-like activity. We assessed the selectivity and potency of these probes against recombinant enzymes and demonstrated that while they are efficacious at labeling active proteases in complex protein mixtures in vitro, they are less valuable for in vivo studies. We used these probes to evaluate serine protease activity in two mouse models of acute inflammation, including pancreatitis and colitis. As anticipated, the activity of trypsin-like proteases was increased during pancreatitis. Levels of elastase-like proteases were low in pancreatic lysates and colonic luminal fluids, whether healthy or inflamed. Exogenously added recombinant neutrophil elastase was inhibited upon incubation with these samples, an effect that was augmented in inflamed samples compared to controls. These data suggest that endogenous inhibitors and elastase-degrading proteases are upregulated during inflammation.
Assuntos
Corantes Fluorescentes/química , Inflamação/metabolismo , Organofosfonatos/química , Serina Proteases/análise , Animais , Colite/metabolismo , Corantes Fluorescentes/síntese química , Camundongos , Estrutura Molecular , Organofosfonatos/síntese química , Pancreatite/metabolismo , Serina Proteases/metabolismoRESUMO
This study provides comprehensive proteomic profiles from the venom producing posterior salivary glands of octopus (superorder Octopodiformes) species. A combined transcriptomic and proteomic approach was used to identify 1703 proteins from the posterior salivary gland of the southern blue-ringed octopus, Hapalochlaena maculosa and 1300 proteins from the posterior salivary gland of the southern sand octopus, Octopus kaurna. The two proteomes were broadly similar; clustering of proteins into orthogroups revealed 937 that were shared between species. Serine proteases were particularly diverse and abundant in both species. Other abundant proteins included a large number of secreted proteins, many of which had no known conserved domains, or homology to proteins with known function. On the basis of homology to known venom proteins, 23 putative toxins were identified in H. maculosa and 24 in O. kaurna. These toxins span nine protein families: CAP (cysteine rich secretory proteins, antigen 5, parthenogenesis related), chitinase, carboxylesterase, DNase, hyaluronidase, metalloprotease, phospholipase, serine protease and tachykinin. Serine proteases were responsible for 70.9% and 86.3% of putative toxin expression in H. maculosa and O. kaurna, respectively, as determined using intensity based absolute quantification (iBAQ) measurements. Phylogenetic analysis of the putative toxin serine proteases revealed a similar suite of diverse proteins present in both species. Posterior salivary gland composition of H. maculosa and O. kaurna differ in several key aspects. While O. kaurna expressed the proteinaceous neurotoxin, tachykinin, this was absent from H. maculosa, perhaps reflecting the acquisition of a potent nonproteinaceous neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX) produced by bacteria in the salivary glands of that species. The dispersal factor, hyaluronidase was particularly abundant in H. maculosa. Chitinase was abundant in both species and is believed to facilitate envenomation in chitinous prey such as crustaceans. Cephalopods represent a largely unexplored source of novel proteins distinct from all other venomous taxa and are of interest for further inquiry, as novel proteinaceous toxins derived from venoms may contribute to pharmaceutical design.
Assuntos
Octopodiformes/química , Proteômica , Glândulas Salivares/química , Transcriptoma , Animais , Análise por Conglomerados , Toxinas Marinhas/análise , Serina Proteases/análise , Especificidade da Espécie , Peçonhas/enzimologiaRESUMO
We set out to identify the Candida glabrata cell wall attached proteases which may play a role as virulence factors in candidosis, particularly in the immunocompromized host. We studied a clinical C. glabrata strain T-1639, which was isolated from a patient from the Helsinki University Central Hospital. With non-reducing 2-D electrophoresis using parallel fluorogenic gels and mass spectrometry we identified a novel appr. 25 kDa (192 aa in length) cell wall located protease with an estimated pI of 7.6. The LC-MS/MS peptides matched with the ORF of predicted C. glabrata CBS138 cell wall protein Cwp1.2p/pI 7.7/212 aa (http://cbi.labri.fr/Génolevures/[NCBI access 49525604, UniProt access Q6FTZ7]), which is an ortholog to Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall protein Cwp1p (UniProt access P28319). The novel serine protease was released by ß-1,3-glucanase treatment from the cell wall. In contrast to previous predictions this protease has an enzymatic function instead of being merely a structural cell wall protein. The protease showed gelatinolytic activity and was inhibited by PMSF, a known serine protease inhibitor. Further characterization of the protease may give insight to its role in infections caused by C. glabrata and possibly aid in the development of new kinds of antifungal drugs.
Assuntos
Candida glabrata/enzimologia , Candidíase/microbiologia , Parede Celular/enzimologia , Serina Proteases/análise , Sequência de Aminoácidos , Candida glabrata/química , Parede Celular/química , Eletroforese em Gel Bidimensional , Humanos , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Espectrometria de Massas em TandemRESUMO
A quantitative protease assay based on the formation of a copper-oligopeptide complex is developed. In this assay, when a tripeptide GGH fragment is cleaved from an oligopeptide chain by serine proteases, the tripeptide quickly forms a pink GGH/Cu(2+) complex whose concentration can be determined quantitatively by using UV-Vis spectroscopy. Therefore, activities of serine proteases can be determined from the formation rate of the GGH/Cu(2+) complex. This principle can be used to detect the presence of serine protease in a real-time manner, or measure proteolytic activities of serine protease cleaving different oligopeptide substrates. For example, by using this assay, we demonstrate that trypsin, a model serine protease, is able to cleave two oligopeptides GGGGKGGH () and GGGGRGGH (). However, the specificity constant (kcat/Km) for is higher than that of (6.4 × 10(3) mM(-1) min(-1)vs. 1.3 × 10(3) mM(-1) min(-1)). This result shows that trypsin is more specific toward arginine (R) than lysine (K) in the oligopeptide sequence.
Assuntos
Cobre/química , Oligopeptídeos/química , Compostos Organometálicos/química , Serina Proteases/análise , Cobre/metabolismo , Oligopeptídeos/metabolismo , Compostos Organometálicos/síntese química , Compostos Organometálicos/metabolismo , Serina Proteases/metabolismo , Espectrofotometria UltravioletaRESUMO
Activity-based probes (ABPs) are powerful tools for the analysis of active enzyme species in whole proteomes, cells or animals. Quenched fluorescent ABPs (qABPs) can be applied for real time imaging, allowing the visualization of dynamic enzyme activation by fluorescent microscopy. Unfortunately, qABPs are only available for a few enzymes. We here describe the design and synthesis of qABPs for serine proteases based on a phosphonate ester scaffold.
Assuntos
Ésteres/química , Corantes Fluorescentes/química , Organofosfonatos/química , Serina Proteases/metabolismo , Ativação Enzimática , Ensaios Enzimáticos/métodos , Corantes Fluorescentes/análise , Microscopia de Fluorescência , Estrutura Molecular , Serina Proteases/análiseRESUMO
Plant fungal diseases cause major problems for the global economy. Antimicrobial peptides have aroused great interest in the control of phytopathogens, as they are natural molecules and have a broad spectrum of inhibitory activity. Herein, we have tried to identify and characterize antimicrobial peptides present in fruits of Capsicum chinense and to evaluate their enzymatic and antifungal activities. The retained fraction obtained in the anion exchange chromatography with strong antifungal activity was subjected to molecular exclusion chromatography and obtained four fractions named G1, G2, G3, and G4. The 6.0-kDa protein band of G2 showed similarity with protease inhibitors type II, and it was able to inhibit 100% of trypsin and α-amylase activities. The protein band with approximately 6.5 kDa of G3 showed similarity with sequences of protease inhibitors from genus Capsicum and showed growth inhibition of 48% for Colletotrichum lindemuthianum, 49% for Fusarium lateritium, and 51% for F. solani and F. oxysporum. Additionally, G3 causes morphological changes, membrane permeabilization, and ROS increase in F. oxysporum cells. The 9-kDa protein band of G4 fraction was similar to a nsLTP type 1, and a protein band of 6.5 kDa was similar to a nsLTP type 2. The G4 fraction was able to inhibit 100% of the activities of glycosidases tested and showed growth inhibition of 35 and 50% of F. oxysporum and C. lindemuthianum, respectively. C. chinense fruits have peptides with antifungal activity and enzyme inhibition with biotechnological potential.
Assuntos
Antifúngicos , Capsicum , Antifúngicos/farmacologia , Antifúngicos/química , Frutas/microbiologia , Capsicum/microbiologia , Serina Proteases/análise , Peptídeos Antimicrobianos , alfa-Amilases , Fungos , Inibidores de Proteases/análiseRESUMO
Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) are caused by mutations in eight different genes, are characterized by lysosomal accumulation of autofluorescent storage material, and result in a disease that causes degeneration of the central nervous system (CNS). Although functions are defined for some of the soluble proteins that are defective in NCL (cathepsin D, PPT1, and TPP1), the primary function of the other proteins defective in NCLs (CLN3, CLN5, CLN6, CLN7, and CLN8) remain poorly defined. Understanding the localization and network of interactions for these proteins can offer clues as to the function of the NCL proteins and also the pathways that will be disrupted in their absence. Here, we present a review of the current understanding of the localization, interactions, and function of the proteins associated with NCL.
Assuntos
Aminopeptidases/metabolismo , Catepsina D/metabolismo , Dipeptidil Peptidases e Tripeptidil Peptidases/metabolismo , Proteínas de Membrana/metabolismo , Lipofuscinoses Ceroides Neuronais/metabolismo , Serina Proteases/metabolismo , Tioléster Hidrolases/metabolismo , Aminopeptidases/análise , Aminopeptidases/genética , Animais , Catepsina D/análise , Catepsina D/genética , Dipeptidil Peptidases e Tripeptidil Peptidases/análise , Dipeptidil Peptidases e Tripeptidil Peptidases/genética , Humanos , Lisossomos/genética , Lisossomos/metabolismo , Lisossomos/patologia , Proteínas de Membrana/análise , Proteínas de Membrana/genética , Lipofuscinoses Ceroides Neuronais/genética , Mapeamento de Interação de Proteínas , Serina Proteases/análise , Serina Proteases/genética , Tioléster Hidrolases/análise , Tioléster Hidrolases/genética , Tripeptidil-Peptidase 1RESUMO
Several proteins have been isolated from seeds of leguminous, but this is the first report that a protease was obtained from seeds of Caesalpinia echinata Lam., a tree belonging to the Fabaceae family. This enzyme was purified to homogeneity by hydrophobic interaction and anion exchange chromatographies and gel filtration. This 61-kDa serine protease (CeSP) hydrolyses H-D-prolyl-L-phenylalanyl-L-arginine-p-nitroanilide (K(m) 55.7 µM) in an optimum pH of 7.1, and this activity is effectively retained until 50 °C. CeSP remained stable in the presence of kosmotropic anions (PO(4) (3-), SO(4) (2-), and CH(3)COO(-)) or chaotropic cations (K(+) and Na(+)). It is strongly inhibited by TLCK, a serine protease inhibitor, but not by E-64, EDTA or pepstatin A. The characteristics of the purified enzyme allowed us to classify it as a serine protease. The role of CeSP in the seeds cannot be assigned yet but is possible to infer that it is involved in the mobilization of seed storage proteins.
Assuntos
Proteínas de Armazenamento de Sementes/química , Sementes/enzimologia , Serina Proteases/química , Ativação Enzimática , Estabilidade Enzimática , Proteínas de Armazenamento de Sementes/análise , Serina Proteases/análiseRESUMO
Click and analyze: the titled probe was synthesized by conjugating a sulfonyl fluoride and azido unit using click chemistry to give SF-Eu, which can react specifically with serine (Ser) in the active site of serine protease (SP). Combination of the method with (153)Eu-isotope dilution ICP/MS enables absolute protein quantification of active SPs in biological samples using only one (153)Eu(NO(3))(3) isotopic standard.
Assuntos
Química Click , Európio/química , Espectrometria de Massas , Serina Proteases/análise , Domínio Catalítico , Cromatografia Líquida de Alta Pressão , Compostos Heterocíclicos com 1 Anel/química , Marcação por Isótopo , Ácidos Sulfínicos/químicaRESUMO
Three expression cDNA libraries from Trichinella spiralis worms 14 h, 20 h and 48 h post-infection (p.i.) were screened with serum from pigs experimentally infected with 20,000 T. spiralis muscle larvae. Twenty-nine positive clones were isolated from the 14 h p.i. cDNA library, corresponding to 8 different genes. A putative excretory-secretory protein similar to that of T. pseudospiralis was identified. Three clones corresponded to a T. spiralis serine proteinase inhibitor known to be involved in diverse functions such as blood coagulation and modulation of inflammation. Screening of the 20 h p.i. cDNA library selected 167 positive clones representing 12 different sequences. The clone with the highest redundancy encoded a small polypeptide having no sequence identity with any known proteins from Trichinella or other organisms. Fourteen clones displayed sequence identity with the heat shock protein (HSP) 70. HSPs are produced as an adaptive response of the parasite to the hostile environment encountered in the host intestine but their mechanism of action is not yet well defined. From the 48 h p.i. T. spiralis cDNA library, 91 positive clones were identified representing 7 distinct sequences. Most of the positive clones showed high similarity with a member of a putative T. spiralis serine protease family. This result is consistent with a possible major role for serine proteases during invasive stages of Trichinella infection and host-parasite interactions.
Assuntos
Antígenos de Helmintos/análise , Doenças dos Suínos/parasitologia , Trichinella spiralis/imunologia , Triquinelose/veterinária , Animais , Antígenos de Helmintos/genética , Antígenos de Helmintos/imunologia , Clonagem Molecular , Feminino , Biblioteca Gênica , Interações Hospedeiro-Parasita , Soros Imunes/imunologia , Intestino Delgado/parasitologia , Larva/genética , Larva/imunologia , Larva/patogenicidade , Camundongos , RNA de Helmintos/genética , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Serina Proteases/análise , Serina Proteases/genética , Serina Proteases/imunologia , Organismos Livres de Patógenos Específicos , Suínos , Doenças dos Suínos/imunologia , Fatores de Tempo , Trichinella spiralis/genética , Trichinella spiralis/patogenicidade , Triquinelose/imunologia , Triquinelose/parasitologiaRESUMO
Confirmation of presence of M. tuberculosis bacilli on microscopic examination is very important in diagnosis of tuberculosis. The present study was undertaken to find the usefulness of mycobacterial ES-31 serine protease as a marker to detect tuberculosis bacilli using fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated anti-ES-31 serine protease antibody. This immunofluorescence method was compared with Ziehl-Neelsen and auramine-O staining methods for detection of tuberculosis bacilli. Slides were prepared for each serially diluted tuberculosis H37Ra bacilli (1 x 10(7) bacilli/ml to 5 bacilli/ml). Slides for each dilution group were stained by ZN method, auramine-O and immunostaining methods using fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated anti-ES-31 serine protease antibody. ZN staining method showed efficacy for detection of M. tuberculosis H37Ra upto 1 x 10(4) bacilli/ml while auramine-O method showed upto 1 x 10(2) bacilli/ml. The presence of bacilli was indicated by green fluorescence on immunostaining using anti-ES-31 antibody conjugate and this method was effective upto 10 bacilli/ml. The slides which were negative for ZN (1 x 10(3) cells/ml) and auramine-O (100 cells/ml) method showed positivity on restaining with immunofluorescent staining method. The results of this preliminary study showed that immunofluorescent staining method using specific anti-ES-31 antibody conjugate was more sensitive for detection of tuberculosis bacilli than ZN and auramine-O methods in samples of laboratory strain. The utility of this method will be studied further in clinical specimens.
Assuntos
Mycobacterium tuberculosis/isolamento & purificação , Antígenos de Bactérias/análise , Humanos , Microscopia de Fluorescência/estatística & dados numéricos , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/enzimologia , Mycobacterium tuberculosis/imunologia , Serina Proteases/análise , Serina Proteases/imunologia , Coloração e RotulagemRESUMO
Snakebite envenomation is a serious neglected tropical disease, and its management is often complicated by the diversity of snake venoms. In Asia, pit vipers of the Ovophis species complex are medically important venomous snakes whose venom properties have not been investigated in depth. This study characterized the venom proteomes of Ovophis convictus (West Malaysia), Ovophis tonkinensis (northern Vietnam, southern China), and Ovophis okinavensis (Okinawa, Japan) by applying liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, which detected a high abundance of snake venom serine proteases (SVSP, constituting 40-60% of total venom proteins), followed by phospholipases A2, snake venom metalloproteinases of mainly P-III class, L-amino acid oxidases, and toxins from other protein families which were less abundant. The venoms exhibited different procoagulant activities in human plasma, with potency decreasing from O. tonkinensis > O. okinavensis > O. convictus. The procoagulant nature of venom confirms that consumptive coagulopathy underlies the pathophysiology of Ovophis pit viper envenomation. The hetero-specific antivenoms Gloydius brevicaudus monovalent antivenom (GbMAV) and Trimeresurus albolabris monovalent antivenom (TaMAV) were immunoreactive toward the venoms, and cross-neutralized their procoagulant activities, albeit at variably limited efficacy. In the absence of species-specific antivenom, these hetero-specific antivenoms may be useful in treating coagulotoxic envenomation caused by the different snakes in their respective regions.
Assuntos
Crotalinae , Proteoma , Proteínas de Répteis , Venenos de Víboras , Animais , Antivenenos/imunologia , Coagulantes/análise , Coagulantes/imunologia , Coagulantes/toxicidade , Humanos , L-Aminoácido Oxidase/análise , L-Aminoácido Oxidase/imunologia , L-Aminoácido Oxidase/toxicidade , Metaloproteases/análise , Metaloproteases/imunologia , Metaloproteases/toxicidade , Fosfolipases A2/análise , Fosfolipases A2/imunologia , Fosfolipases A2/toxicidade , Plasma/efeitos dos fármacos , Proteoma/análise , Proteoma/imunologia , Proteoma/toxicidade , Proteômica , Proteínas de Répteis/análise , Proteínas de Répteis/imunologia , Proteínas de Répteis/toxicidade , Serina Proteases/análise , Serina Proteases/imunologia , Serina Proteases/toxicidade , Venenos de Víboras/química , Venenos de Víboras/imunologia , Venenos de Víboras/toxicidadeRESUMO
Eighteen species of the genus Euphorbia are known to have proteolytic enzymes in their latices, 9 of them are characterized by the type of endopeptidases (Cysteine-, Serine-, Metallo- or Aspartatic-endopeptidase) which are responsible for the activity, and all nine are serine endopeptidases. In our study we examined the latices of 64 different species of the genus Euphorbia concerning proteolytic activity and serine protease activity, five of them are mentioned in the literature to be proteolytic active and four are known to contain at least one serine endopeptidase. All tested samples were able to degrade labelled casein, the activity of six latices were completely inhibited by specific serine protease inhibitors, 15 samples were not influenced, and in 43 latices a remaining activity was measured, indicating that other types of endopeptidases seem to be involved.
Assuntos
Endopeptidases/química , Euphorbia/classificação , Euphorbia/enzimologia , Látex/análise , Biomarcadores , Caseínas/química , Classificação/métodos , Indicadores e Reagentes , Inibidores de Proteases/farmacologia , Serina Proteases/análise , Serina Proteases/metabolismo , Inibidores de Serina Proteinase/farmacologiaRESUMO
Snake venoms are complex mixtures of proteins with toxic activities, with many distinct isoforms, affecting different physiological targets, comprised in a few protein families. It is currently accepted that this diversity in venom composition is an adaptive advantage for venom efficacy on a wide range of prey. However, on the other side, variability on isoforms expression has implications in the clinics of human victims of snakebites and in the efficacy of antivenoms. B. atrox snakes are responsible for most of the human accidents in Brazilian Amazon and the type and abundance of protein families on their venoms present individual variability. Thus, in this study we attempted to correlate the individual venom proteome of the snake brought to the hospital by the patient seeking for medical assistance with the clinical signs observed in the same patient. Individual variability was confirmed in venoms of the 14 snakes selected for the study. The abundance of each protein family was quite similar among the venom samples, while the isoforms composition was highly variable. Considering the protein families, the SVMP group presented the best correlation with bleeding disorders and edema. Considering individual isoforms, some isoforms of venom metalloproteinase (SVMP), C-type lectin-like toxins (CTL) and snake venom serine proteinases (SVSP) presented expression levels that with statistically significant positive correlation to signs and symptoms presented by the patients as bleeding disorders, edema, ecchymosis and blister formation. However, some unexpected data were also observed as the correlation between a CTL, CRISP or LAAO isoforms with blister formation, still to be confirmed with a larger number of samples. Although this is still a small number of patient samples, we were able to indicate that venom composition modulates clinical manifestations of snakebites, to confirm at the bedside the prominent role of SVMPs and to include new possible toxin candidates for the development of toxin inhibitors or to improve antivenom selectiveness, important actions for the next generation treatments of snakebites.