Are protozoan metacaspases potential parasite killers?

Are metacaspases caspases?

The identification of caspases as major regulators of apoptotic cell death in animals initiated a quest for homologous peptidases in other kingdoms. With the discovery of metacaspases in plants, fungi, and protozoa, this search had apparently reached its goal. However, there is compelling evidence that metacaspases lack caspase activity and that they are not responsible for the caspaselike acti...

Characterization of metacaspases with trypsin-like activity and their putative role in programmed cell death in the protozoan parasite Leishmania.

In this report, we have characterized two metacaspases of Leishmania donovani, L. donovani metacaspase-1 (LdMC1) and LdMC2. These two proteins show 98% homology with each other, and both contain a characteristic C-terminal proline-rich domain. Both genes are transcribed in promastigotes and axenic amastigotes of L. donovani; however, LdMC1 shows increased mRNA levels in axenic amastigotes. An a...

Protozoan Parasite Leishmania donovani

B-Cell Response during Protozoan Parasite Infections

In this review, we discuss how protozoan parasites alter immature and mature B cell compartment. B1 and marginal zone (MZ) B cells, considered innate like B cells, are activated during protozoan parasite infections, and they generate short lived plasma cells providing a prompt antibody source. In addition, protozoan infections induce massive B cell response with polyclonal activation that leads...

dientamoeba fragilis in gaza strip: a neglected protozoan parasite.

background: the aim of this study was to detect dientamoeba fragilis by iron haematoxylin stain, as well as its prevalence, and association between d. fragilis infection and diarrhoea among patients at-tending al-nuseirate refugee camp clinic, gaza strip. methods: a cross-sectional study was conducted among 319 children and adults with age ranges from (1 to 75) years old, attending al-nussirat ...