Cloning the metacaspase (PbMCA) of recombinant Paracoccidioides brasiliensis

• Grant number: 17/06526-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: September 01, 2017
• End date: August 31, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Molecular Biology
• Principal Investigator: Mauricio Ferreira Marcondes Machado
• Grantee: Laura Francisca Leite Do Prado de Souza
• Host Institution: Pró-Reitoria Acadêmica. Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes (UMC). Campus da Sede Mogi das Cruzes. Mogi das Cruzes , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Metacaspases are peptidases of lower eukaryotic similar to caspases which are enzymes that participate in the mammalian cell death system. Several types of metacaspases were found in plants, fungi and protozoa. Cell viability experiments have demonstrated that they, as well as caspases in mammals, are closely correlated with cell death in these organisms. From the substrate specificity caspases have affinity for aspartic acid residues at the P1 position, in addition to important interactions with the specific residues depending on the caspase at the P2, P3 and P4 positions, so that there are available substrates capable of differentiating the various caspases. However, metacaspases have a specificity for arginine or lysine residues in the P1 position and to date there are few studies on the substrate specificity of these enzymes. The present research project has the purpose of cloning the metacaspase (PbMCA) of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. (AU)