Fasciola hepatica serine protease inhibitor family (serpins): Purposely crafted for regulating host proteases

The Importance of pH in Regulating the Function of the Fasciola hepatica Cathepsin L1 Cysteine Protease

The helminth parasite Fasciola hepatica secretes cathepsin L cysteine proteases to invade its host, migrate through tissues and digest haemoglobin, its main source of amino acids. Here we investigated the importance of pH in regulating the activity and functions of the major cathepsin L protease FheCL1. The slightly acidic pH of the parasite gut facilitates the auto-catalytic activation of FheC...

Fasciola hepatica

18 The success of helminth parasites is partly related to their ability to modulate host immune 19 responses towards an anti-inflammatory/regulatory phenotype. This ability resides with the 20 molecules contained in the secretome of various helminths that have been shown to interact with 21 host immune cells and influence their function. Consequently, there exists a unique opportunity 22 to exp...

Proteomics and phylogenetic analysis of the cathepsin L protease family of the helminth pathogen Fasciola hepatica

Fasciola hepatica infection in China.

Fasciola hepatica is one of the most common parasites in China that infects ruminants, especially cattle, sheep and goats, and causes considerable morbidity and economic losses in the animal husbandry. The climate in wide areas of China is suitable for the development of F. hepatica and its intermediate snail hosts. However, human infection with the fluke is not common. Up to now, 38 hospital p...

Reaction of serine proteases with substituted isocoumarins: discovery of 3,4-dichloroisocoumarin, a new general mechanism based serine protease inhibitor.

The mechanism-based inactivations of a number of serine proteases, including human leukocyte (HL) elastase, cathepsin G, rat mast cell proteases I and II, several human and bovine blood coagulation proteases, and human factor D by substituted isocoumarins and phthalides which contain masked acyl chloride or anhydride moieties, are reported. 3,4-Dichloroisocoumarin, the most potent inhibitor inv...