Open AccessCharacterization of developmentally‐regulated nucleases in promastigotes and amastigotes of Leishmania mexicana
Author(s) -
Bates Paul A.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1993.tb06003.x
Subject(s) - amastigote , leishmania mexicana , leishmania , biology , kinetoplastida , microbiology and biotechnology , leishmaniasis , parasite hosting , genetics , protozoal disease , immunology , world wide web , computer science , malaria
The parasitic protozoon Leishmania mexicana was examined for the presence of 3′‐nucleotidase/nuclease using substrate SDS‐PAGE. Two activities were detected: one with an apparent molecular mass of 40 kDa, and a doublet of 29/31 kDa. The two enzymes showed differences in their levels of expression in the two life‐cycle stages of parasite examined: the 29/31 kDa doublet was detected at 60‐fold higher levels in the pathogenic amastigote stage, but was also expressed by promastigotes, whereas the 40 kDa activity was only detected in promastigotes. Both were capable of hydrolysing a variety of substrates including 3′‐AMP and poly(A). However, the 29/31 kDa form showed a broader, unique substrate specificity in that it was also capable of digesting double‐stranded RNA and DNA.