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Biological Roles of Peptidases in Trypanosomatids
Marta Helena Branquinha1
Claudia M. D’Ávila-Levy2
André Luis Souza dos Santos1
Edilma Paraguai de Souza Dias1
Ana Cristina Nogueira de Melo1
Authors Info & Affiliations
Abstract
In this review, we report the recent developments in the characterization of peptidases and their possible biological functions in the Trypanosomatidae family. The focus will be on peptidases from Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp., African trypanosomes and plant and insect trypanosomatids. There are numerous events in parasite development where the involvement of peptidases has been established, and they will be approached in the present review. Also in this review we will discuss the central roles have been proposed for peptidases in diverse processes such as virulence, host cell interaction and invasion, catabolism of host proteins, differentiation, cell cycle progression and both stimulation and evasion of host immune responses.
