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Molecular characterization of a cathepsin F-like protease in Trichinella spiralis

Overview of attention for article published in Parasites & Vectors, December 2015
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Title
Molecular characterization of a cathepsin F-like protease in Trichinella spiralis
Published in
Parasites & Vectors, December 2015
DOI 10.1186/s13071-015-1270-y
Pubmed ID
Authors

Zi-gang Qu, Xue-ting Ma, Wen-hui Li, Nian-zhang Zhang, Long Yue, Jian-min Cui, Jian-ping Cai, Wan-zhong Jia, Bao-quan Fu

Abstract

Trichinellosis is a re-emerging infectious disease, caused by Trichinella spp. Cathepsin F belongs to cysteine protease that is a major virulence factor for parasitic helminths, and it may be a potential anti-helminth drug target and vaccine candidate. The aim of this study was to clone, express and identify a cathepsin F-like protease in Trichinella spiralis and to investigate its biochemical characteristics. The full-length cDNA encoding a putative cathepsin F-like protease in T. spiralis, TsCF1, was cloned and its biochemical characterization and expression profile were analyzed. Transcription of TsCF1 at different developmental stages of T. spiralis was observed by RT-PCR. The recombinant TsCF1 protein was expressed by prokaryotic expression system and recombinant TsCF1 (rTsCF1) was analyzed by western blotting. And expression of TsCF1 at muscle larvae stage was performed by immunofluorescent technique. Molecular modeling of TsCF1 and its binding mode with E-64 and K11777 were analyzed. Enzyme activity and inhibitory test with E-64 as inhibitor were investigated by using Z-Phe-Arg-AMC as specific substrate. Sequence analysis revealed that TsCF1 ORF encodes a protein of 366 aa with a theoretical molecular weight of 41.9 kDa and an isoelectric point of 7.46. The cysteine protease conserved active site of Cys173, His309 and Asn333 were identified and cathepsin F specific motif ERFNAQ like KLFNAQ sequence was revealed in the propeptide of TsCF1. Sequence alignment analysis revealed a higher than 40 % identity with other cathepsin F from parasitic helminth and phylogenetic analysis indicated TsCF1 located at the junction of nematode and trematode. RT-PCR revealed the gene was expressed in muscle larvae, newborn larvae and adult stages. SDS-PAGE revealed the recombinant protein was expressed with the molecular weight of 45 kDa. The purified rTsCF1 was used to immunize rabbit and the immune serum could recognize a band of about 46 kDa in soluble protein of adult, muscle larvae and ES product of muscle larvae. Immunolocalization analysis showed that TsCF1 located on the cuticle and stichosome of the muscle larvae. After renaturation rTsCF1 demonstrated substantial enzyme activity to Z-Phe-Arg-AMC substrate with the optimal pH 5.5 and this activity could be inhibited by cysteine protease inhibitor E-64. Further analysis showed the kinetic parameters of rTsCF1 to be Km = 0.5091 μM and Vmax = 6.12 RFU/s μM at pH 5.5, and the IC50 value of E64 was 135.50 ± 16.90 nM. TsCF1 was expressed in all stages of T. spiralis and localized in the cuticle and stichosome. TsCF1 might play a role in the life cycle of T. spiralis and could be used as a potential vaccine candidate and drug target against T. spiralis infection.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 22 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 22 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Student > Ph. D. Student 5 23%
Researcher 4 18%
Other 2 9%
Student > Master 2 9%
Student > Doctoral Student 1 5%
Other 1 5%
Unknown 7 32%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 5 23%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 4 18%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 2 9%
Veterinary Science and Veterinary Medicine 1 5%
Energy 1 5%
Other 1 5%
Unknown 8 36%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 28 December 2015.
All research outputs
#13,452,391
of 22,836,570 outputs
Outputs from Parasites & Vectors
#2,457
of 5,467 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#187,431
of 389,451 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Parasites & Vectors
#61
of 159 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,836,570 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 39th percentile – i.e., 39% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,467 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 5.7. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 52% of its peers.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 389,451 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 50% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 159 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 57% of its contemporaries.