Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.2.1.20 (alpha-glucosidase)
 4,237 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Several approaches were adopted for the disruption and removal of the tegumental surface from protoscoleces of the horse strain of the hydatid organism, Echinococcus granulosus. The effectiveness of each method and the purity of subsequent microthrix-enriched fractions obtained by differential centrifugation were evaluated by electron microscopy, by the amount of protein released and by the degree of enrichment of surface plasma membrane marker enzymes. Incubation in saponin for 10 min produced the purest microtriche preparation, but in low yield; freeze/thawing, incubation in Triton X-100 for 10 min or in saponin for 20 min produced fractions containing significant amounts of relatively pure microtriches, but mild homogenization was a poor method for surface disruption and subsequent isolation of microtriches. Phosphodiesterase, adenosine triphosphatase (total and ouabain-inhibited), leucine aminopeptidase and glutamyltransferase were active in the protoscoleces but none were enriched in any of the microthrix fractions. In contrast, alkaline phosphatase, acid phosphatase, 5' nucleotidase and maltase were enriched significantly in all of the isolated microtriche preparations, which suggests that these enzymes are predominantly surface membrane bound. The protein profiles of the microthrix-enriched fractions, following SDS-PAGE, were basically similar, although there were some qualitative and quantitative differences in the proteins released by each isolation procedure. Three major PAS-staining components were present in all the preparations and these probably originated from the glycocalyx. One of these PAS-positive components, with an approximate molecular weight of 110 kDa, may be a glycoprotein specific to the horse strain of E. granulosus.
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PMID:Isolation, fractionation and partial characterization of the tegumental surface from protoscoleces of the hydatid organism, Echinococcus granulosus. 398 50

Coproantigen ELISA based tests for diagnosis of canine echinococcosis provide high specificity and sensitivity. However, the antigenic molecules present in faeces from infected dogs have not yet been characterised. While initial attempts to determine the molecular weights of Echinococcus granulosus coproantigens by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting with coproantigen reactive capture antibodies were equivocal, they suggested presence of a significant carbohydrate component. Periodate treatment of coproantigen positive faecal supernatants resulted in a significant reduction (53%) in ELISA activity, suggesting that carbohydrates are involved in the antigenic structure of E. granulosus coproantigens. Protease treatment of antigenic molecules resulted in an 11% reduction in absorbance in ELISA, indicating that protein components were also present which affected by enzyme activity. Lectin-binding ELISA assays indicated strong affinity of E. granulosus coproantigens to concanavalin agglutinin and Lens culinaris agglutinin, and moderate binding to wheat-germ agglutinin and peanut agglutinin. No binding was detectable to Ulex europaensis agglutinin-I, Bandeiraea simplicifolia or Dolichos biflorus agglutinin. These data indicate that E. granulosus coproantigens from infected dog faeces possibly contained alpha-D-mannose and/or alpha-D-glucose, beta-galactose and N-acetyl-beta-glucosamine residues. To verify the role of carbohydrate moieties in coproantigens, faecal samples were treated with exoglycosidase and tested in the coproantigen ELISA. Treatment with beta-galactosidase or N-acetyl-beta-glucosamine reduced ELISA activity by 44 and 30%, respectively. Incubation with a panel of other specific exoglycosidases including alpha-galactosidase as well as alpha-L-fucosidase, alpha-mannosidase, beta-mannosidase, alpha-glucosidase, beta-glucosidase, beta- fructosidase, or neuraminidase, did not alter coproantigen detection in ELISA. The results indicate that coproantigens present in faeces from E. granulosus naturally infected dogs were highly glycosylated and contain beta- galactose and N-acetyl-beta-glucosamine. The putative relationship of antigenic molecules with the tapeworm glycocalyx is discussed.
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PMID:Partial characterisation of carbohydrate-rich Echinococcus granulosus coproantigens. 1457 18