Abnormalities of Endocytosis, Phagocytosis, and Development Process in Dictyostelium Cells That Over-Express Acanthamoeba castellanii Metacaspase Protein.

Background: Acanthamoeba castellanii forms a resistant cyst that protects the parasite against the host's immune response. Acanthamoeba Type-I metacaspase (Acmcp) is a caspase-like protein that has been found to be expressed during the encystations. Dictyostelium discoideum is an organism closely related to Acanthamoeba useful for studying the molecular function of this protozoan caspase-like protein.

Caspase-like proteins: Acanthamoeba castellanii metacaspase and Dictyostelium discoideum paracaspase, what are their functions?

Caspases are cysteine proteases that are important regulators of programmed cell death in animals. Two novel relatives to members of the caspase families metacaspases and paracaspase have been discovered. Metacaspase type-1 was identified in Acanthamoeba castellanii, an opportunistic protozoan parasite that causes severe diseases in humans.

An Acanthamoeba castellanii metacaspase associates with the contractile vacuole and functions in osmoregulation.

Acanthamoeba castellanii is a free-living protozoan. Some strains are opportunistic pathogens. A type-I metacaspase was identified in A.

A type-1 metacaspase from Acanthamoeba castellanii.

The complete sequence of a type-1 metacaspase from Acanthamoeba castellanii is reported comprising 478 amino acids. The metacaspase was recovered from an expression library using sera specific for membrane components implicated in stimulating encystation. A central domain of 155 amino acid residues contains the Cys/His catalytic dyad and is the most conserved region containing at least 30 amino acid identities in all metacaspases.

Vesicle-associated protein-A is differentially expressed during intestinal smooth muscle cell differentiation.

Gastrointestinal (GI) smooth muscle diseases represent a major health concern affecting in excess of 2 million people each year. Little is currently known regarding the molecular mechanisms controlling either normal or pathogenic GI smooth muscle development. In an effort to identify the specific gene products responsible for modulating GI smooth muscle cell (SMC) differentiation, we performed differential display on distinct intestinal SMC (ISMC) phenotypes.