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Pseudomonas aeruginosa elastase and elastolysis revisited: recent developments
Author(s) -
Galloway D. R.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
molecular microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.857
H-Index - 247
eISSN - 1365-2958
pISSN - 0950-382X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2958.1991.tb02076.x
Subject(s) - elastase , biology , thermolysin , protease , microbiology and biotechnology , pseudomonas aeruginosa , alkaline protease , pancreatic elastase , proteolysis , metalloproteinase , virulence factor , pseudomonas , virulence , biochemistry , enzyme , gene , bacteria , genetics , trypsin
Summary With the determination of the three‐dimensional structure of elastase and the probable identification of the active site and key residues involved in proteolytic activity, our knowledge of the molecular details of this interesting protease is rapidly increasing. Pseudomonas elastase appears to be remarkably similar to the Bacillus metalloproteinase thermolysin. A further significant development has been the discovery of the lasA gene and the fact that Pseudomonas elastase and alkaline proteinase appear to act in concert with the LasA protein to display the notable elastolytic activity exhibited by isolates of this organism. Biochemical and genetic studies indicate that LasA is a second elastase which may be an important virulence factor that has been overlooked in previous studies.