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Mouse mast cells express the tryptic protease neuropsin/Prss19
Guang W Wong1, Yi Yang, Shinsuke Yasuda
1Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications
|March 21, 2003
Summary
Mouse mast cells (MCs) express neuropsin, a novel tryptic enzyme. This finding expands our understanding of protease families stored in MCs, particularly during helminth infections.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Protease Research
Background:
- Mouse mast cells (MCs) were known to store neutral proteases from the chromosome 17A3.3 family.
- The diversity of proteases within MCs remained incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify novel tryptic proteases expressed in mouse mast cells.
- To investigate the expression patterns and localization of neuropsin in MCs.
Main Methods:
- Sequence analysis of a cDNA library from BALB/c mouse bone marrow-derived MCs.
- Kinetic studies to determine neuropsin expression timing during MC development.
- Immunohistochemical analysis to assess neuropsin localization in connective tissues.
Main Results:
- Neuropsin, a kallikrein from the chromosome 7B2 family, is expressed in mouse mast cells.
- Neuropsin is stored in the secretory granules of MCs in various connective tissues.
- Neuropsin transcript expression is significantly upregulated in the intestine during helminth infection.
Conclusions:
- This study reports for the first time the expression of neuropsin in an immune cell, specifically mouse mast cells.
- Mouse mast cells store at least two distinct families of tryptic-like proteases.
- Neuropsin expression is dynamically regulated during MC development and in response to parasitic infection.