ANTISENSE INHIBITION OF EXPRESSION OF CYSTEINE PROTEINASES DOES NOT AFFECT ENTAMOEBA-HISTOLYTICA CYTOPATHIC OR HEMOLYTIC-ACTIVITY BUT INHIBITS PHAGOCYTOSIS
S. Ankri et al., ANTISENSE INHIBITION OF EXPRESSION OF CYSTEINE PROTEINASES DOES NOT AFFECT ENTAMOEBA-HISTOLYTICA CYTOPATHIC OR HEMOLYTIC-ACTIVITY BUT INHIBITS PHAGOCYTOSIS, Molecular microbiology, 28(4), 1998, pp. 777-785
Inhibition of most of the expression of the cysteine proteinases of En
tamoeba histolytica strain HM-1:IMSS was successfully performed by tra
nscription of ehcp5 antisense RNA using the promoter of ehg34, which e
ncodes a L21 ribosomal protein of E. histolytica. We have generated a
stable transfectant in which the overall level of cysteine proteinase
activity is strongly reduced (approximate to 90%). This transfectant h
as a normal growth rate in Diamond's TYI-S-33 medium, a cytopathic and
haemolytic activity similar to the control HM-1:IMSS pEhAct-Neo trans
fectant but with a significantly lower phagocytic activity.