The Plasmodium falciparum serine repeat antigen (SERA) and serine repeat protein homologue (SERPH) contain highly conserved domains that appear to encode cysteine proteases or related proteins. Humoral immune responses against the protease domains of SERA and SERPH were evaluated. Malaria-immune Africans, but not nonimmune controls, demonstrated potent humoral responses against the protease dom...

Poultry farms produce huge quantities of feather waste that causes serious local disposal and accumulative problems and results in environmental pollution. Feathers are composed of β-keratin rich protein and are highly resistant to degradation. The feather degradation potential of the non-pathogenic fungus Onygena corvina was investigated by cultivating this fungus in a medium with duck feather...

This paper reported the purification and kinetic parameters characterization of an alkaline protease produced from Bacillus subtilis through submerged fermentation process using rice husk as growth supporting substrate (by-product of rice industry) collected from Pearl Rice Mill Hafiz Abad, Faisalabad. Bacillus subtilis was cultured in fermentation medium under some pre-optimized growth conditi...

Protease inhibitors, which can inhibit insect digestive enzymes, and carbohydrate binding lectins are potential control mechanisms against herbivorous insects. Larval midgut extracts fi-om Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) were assayed for protease activity in the presence of protease inhibitors in order to determine the dominant protease types (serine, aspartic, metalloor cyste...

A 'Heat treatment aqueous two phase system' was employed for the first time to purify serine protease from kesinai (Streblus asper) leaves. In this study, introduction of heat treatment procedure in serine protease purification was investigated. In addition, the effects of different molecular weights of polyethylene glycol (PEG 4000, 6000 and 8000) at concentrations of 8, 16 and 21% (w/w) as we...

Almost one-third of all proteases can be classified as serine proteases, named for the nucleophilic Ser residue at the active site. This mechanistic class was originally distinguished by the presence of the AspHis-Ser “charge relay” system or “catalytic triad”.1 The Asp-His-Ser triad can be found in at least four different structural contexts, indicating that this catalytic machinery has evolve...

Fungal strains isolated from poultry farm soil by Waksman serial dilution method were screened for alkaline protease production. Isolate PF/F/107, the most potent producer of alkaline protease was identified as Aspergillus versicolor. The isolate PF/F/107 showed highest activity in the optimized medium I at pH 9.0, temperature 35oC, with 1% wheat bran and 1% sodium nitrate incubated for 4 days.

BACKGROUND Serine proteases are major components of viper venom and target various stages of the blood coagulation system in victims and prey. A better understanding of the diversity of serine proteases and other enzymes present in snake venom will help to understand how the complexity of snake venom has evolved and will aid the development of novel therapeutics for treating snake bites. METH...

A number of complex processes are involved in Eimeria spp. survival, including control of sporulation, intracellular invasion, evasion of host immune responses, successful reproduction, and nutrition. Proteases have been implicated in many of these processes, but the occurrence and functions of serine proteases have not been characterized. Bioinformatic analysis suggests that the Eimeria tenell...

An alkaline protease-producing fungus was screened from potato grown soil fields of Bangalore and identified as Aspergillus terreus gr. based on morphological and microscopic features. The selected growth medium contained casein (1%) as a sole source of carbon and nitrogen. The pH of the medium was adjusted to 10.0 using sodium carbonate in order to isolate alkalophilic fungi. The best process ...