Korean J Parasitol.  2015 Feb;53(1):1-11. 10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.1.

Serine Proteases of Parasitic Helminths

• Yang Y
• Wen YJ
• Cai YN
• Vallee I
• Boireau P
• Liu MY
• Cheng SP

• KMID: 2381790
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.1

Abstract

Serine proteases form one of the most important families of enzymes and perform significant functions in a broad range of biological processes, such as intra- and extracellular protein metabolism, digestion, blood coagulation, regulation of development, and fertilization. A number of serine proteases have been identified in parasitic helminths that have putative roles in parasite development and nutrition, host tissues and cell invasion, anticoagulation, and immune evasion. In this review, we described the serine proteases that have been identified in parasitic helminths, including nematodes (Trichinella spiralis, T. pseudospiralis, Trichuris muris, Anisakis simplex, Ascaris suum, Onchocerca volvulus, O. lienalis, Brugia malayi, Ancylostoma caninum, and Steinernema carpocapsae), cestodes (Spirometra mansoni, Echinococcus granulosus, and Schistocephalus solidus), and trematodes (Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica, and Schistosoma mansoni). Moreover, the possible biological functions of these serine proteases in the endogenous biological phenomena of these parasites and in the host-parasite interaction were also discussed.

Keyword

Serine protease; biological function; parasitic helminth; nematode; trematode; cestode

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cestoda/classification/*enzymology/growth & development/physiology
Host-Parasite Interactions
Life Cycle Stages
Nematoda/classification/*enzymology/growth & development/physiology
Serine Proteases/genetics/*metabolism
Trematoda/classification/*enzymology/growth & development/physiology
Serine Proteases