An Aspartic Protease of the Scabies Mite Sarcoptes scabiei is Involved in the Digestion of Host Skin and Blood Macromolecules

Wajahat Mahmood; Linda Viberg; Katja Fischer; Shelley F Walton; D C Holt

doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0002525

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An Aspartic Protease of the Scabies Mite Sarcoptes scabiei is Involved in the Digestion of Host Skin and Blood Macromolecules

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

An Aspartic Protease of the Scabies Mite Sarcoptes scabiei is Involved in the Digestion of Host Skin and Blood Macromolecules

Wajahat Mahmood, Linda Viberg, Katja Fischer, Shelley F Walton and D C Holt

PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol.7(11), e2525

2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0002525

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Abstract

Scabies is an infectious disease of the skin caused by infestation with the parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei. It is a disease that has a considerable impact on humans and other animals, including livestock, wildlife and companion animals. Scabies mites burrow into the skin of their host, consuming host skin and blood molecules. Aspartic proteases play a key role in invasion and digestion processes in many parasitic organisms. We have identified a scabies mite aspartic protease and have shown that it is capable of digesting human haemoglobin, serum albumin, fibrinogen and fibronectin in vitro, indicating that it plays a role in mite digestive processes. This raises the possibility that interfering with the function of this digestive enzyme may impact on mite survival.

Details

Title: An Aspartic Protease of the Scabies Mite Sarcoptes scabiei is Involved in the Digestion of Host Skin and Blood Macromolecules
Authors: Wajahat Mahmood (Author) - Charles Darwin University
Linda Viberg (Author) - Charles Darwin University
Katja Fischer (Author) - Queensland Institute of Medical Research
Shelley F Walton (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
D C Holt (Author) - Charles Darwin University
Publication details: PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol.7(11), e2525
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Date published: 2013
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0002525
ISSN: 1935-2727
Copyright note: Copyright © 2013 Mahmood et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99448960402621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Infectious Diseases; Parasitology; Tropical Medicine

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Source: InCites