Protease inhibitors, a class of proteins which reversibly, stoichiometrically and competitively inhibit the catalytic activity of proteolytic enzymes, are widespread in plants, animals and microorganisms. They are abundant in the reproductive and storage organs and vegetative tissues of most plant families (Ryan, 1990). These proteins, apart from regulating proteolytic processes, are also invol...

BACKGROUND Proteases play an important role in virulence of many human, plant and insect pathogens. The proteinaceous protease inhibitors of plant origin have been reported widely from many plant species. The inhibitors may potentially be used for multiple therapeutic applications in viral, bacterial, fungal diseases and physiological disorders. In traditional Indian medicine system, Cassia tor...

Current models of plant-pathogen interactions stipulate that pathogens secrete effector proteins that disable plant defense components known as virulence targets. Occasionally, the perturbations caused by these effectors trigger innate immunity via plant disease resistance proteins as described by the "guard hypothesis." This model is nicely illustrated by the interaction between the fungal pla...

Two proteases produced by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, main protease and papain-like protease, are essential for viral replication have become focus of drug development programs treatment COVID-19. We screened a highly focused library compounds containing covalent warheads designed to target cysteine identify new lead scaffolds both Mpro PLpro proteases. These efforts identified small number hits no v...

Genetically modified (GM) legumes expressing the α-amylase inhibitor 1 (αAI-1) from Phaseolus vulgaris L. or cysteine protease inhibitors are resistant to several bruchid pests (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). In addition, the combination of plant resistance factors together with hymenopteran parasitoids can substantially increase the bruchid control provided by the resistance alone. If the strateg...

The Bowman-Birk protease inhibitors from soybeans and chick peas suppress in vitro malignant transformation. This fluorescent microscopy study is designed to visualize the cellular site of action of these protease inhibitors. Binding and internalization of active protease inhibitors occur over a time course of 2 h. The rate and character of fluorescent micro graphs obtained are compared to insu...

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protease has been continuously evolving and developing resistance to all of the protease inhibitors. This requires the development of new inhibitors that bind to the protease in a novel fashion. Most of the inhibitors that are on the market are peptidomimetics, where a conserved water molecule mediates hydrogen bonding interactions between the inhibit...

The human immunodeficiency virus has been shown to be the causative agent for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The human immunodeficiency virus encodes for unique aspartyl protease that is essential for the production of enzymes and proteins in the final stages of maturation. Protease inhibitors act by preventing the formation of functional proteins from precursor proteins, which are ...