ABSTRACT
Proteinases of parasites are attracting considerable interest at present, with particular attention being given to the cysteine proteinases (North et al., 1990; and see Chapter 15). The enzymes of Leishmania mexicana subspecies are especially notable as they exhibit marked stage specificity and there are multiple high-activity forms in the amastigote. They appear to play key roles in enabling this mammalian stage of the parasite to survive and multiply in macrophages. This review provides an overview of the leishmanial enzymes and the biochemical and molecular methods being used to gain greater insight into their features and peculiarities, their roles in the cell and their potential as drug targets.
