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A recombinant form of chagasin from Trypanosoma cruzi : inhibitory activity on insect cysteine proteinases
Author(s) -
dos Santos Monteiro Ana Carolina,
de Oliveira Neto Osmundo Brilhante,
Del Sarto Rafael Perseghini,
de Magalhães Mariana Torquato Q,
Lima Janaiscimento,
Lacerda Ariane Ferreira,
Oliveira Raquel Sampaio,
Scharfstein Julio,
da Silva Maria Cristina Mattar,
Valencia Jorge W Arboleda,
Jiménez Arnubio Valencia,
GrossideSa Maria Fatima
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
pest management science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.296
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1526-4998
pISSN - 1526-498X
DOI - 10.1002/ps.1553
Subject(s) - cysteine , biology , cysteine proteinase inhibitors , trypanosoma cruzi , cysteine protease , biochemistry , recombinant dna , in vivo , in vitro , insect , enzyme , microbiology and biotechnology , parasite hosting , botany , gene , apoptosis , programmed cell death , world wide web , computer science , caspase
BACKGROUND: The activity of the major digestive cysteine proteinase detected in the intestinal tract of larvae of the bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say), was efficiently inhibited by the well‐characterized cysteine proteinase synthetic inhibitor E‐64 and also by a recombinant form of chagasin (r‐chagasin), a tight‐binding cysteine proteinase inhibitor protein from Trypanosoma cruzi . RESULTS: Incorporation of r‐chagasin into an artificial diet system at 0.1 g kg −1 retarded growth rate, decreased larval survival and led to complete mortality of A. obtectus at the end of the trial. The observed differences in growth rates occurred particularly in the first and second development stages. Artificial seeds containing high levels of r‐chagasin (0.5–30 g kg −1 ) completely inhibited larval penetration. CONCLUSION: Together, the results reported in this paper support the hypothesis that the inhibitory activity of r‐chagasin towards the major insect gut cysteine proteinase in vitro and in vivo is an accurate prediction of its insecticidal effects. The selectivity of this inhibitor against insect digestive proteinases supports the key role in parasite virulence by affecting the endogenous proteinase activity in its natural host. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry