Bicinchoninic acid, sodium salt, is a stable, water-soluble compound capable of forming an intense purple complex with cuprous ion (Cu1+) in an alkaline environment. This reagent forms the basis of an analytical method capable of monitoring cuprous ion produced in the reaction of protein with alkaline Cu2+ (biuret reaction). The color produced from this reaction is stable and increases in a proportional fashion over a broad range of increasing protein concentrations. When compared to the method of Lowry et al., the results reported here demonstrate a greater tolerance of the bicinchoninate reagent toward such commonly encountered interferences as nonionic detergents and simple buffer salts. The stability of the reagent and resulting chromophore also allows for a simplified, one-step analysis and an enhanced flexibility in protocol selection. This new method maintains the high sensitivity and low protein-to-protein variation associated with the Lowry technique.

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Praziquantel (PZQ) is the drug of choice for schistosomiasis and probably is the only highly effective drug currently available for treating schistosomiasis-infected individuals. The mode of action of PZQ involves increasing the calcium uptake of the parasite, resulting in tegumental damage and death of the parasite. Despite its remarkable function, the target of PZQ has not been identified yet. To begin to understand where PZQ acts, in this study we expressed the cDNA library of Schistosoma mansoni on the surface of T7 bacteriophages and screened this library with labeled PZQ. This procedure identified a clone that strongly bound to PZQ. Subsequent DNA analysis of inserts showed that the clone coded for regulatory myosin light chain protein. The gene was then cloned, and recombinant S. mansoni myosin light chain (SmMLC) was expressed. Immunoblot analysis using antibodies raised to recombinant SmMLC (rSmMLC) showed that SmMLC is abundantly expressed in schistosomula and adult stages compared to the amount in cercarial stages. In vitro analyses also confirmed that PZQ strongly binds to rSmMLC. Further, peptide mapping studies showed that PZQ binds to amino acids 46 to 76 of SmMLC. Immunoprecipitation analysis confirmed that SmMLC is phosphorylated in vivo upon exposure to PZQ. Interestingly, significant levels of anti-SmMLC antibodies were present in vaccinated mice compared to the amount in infected mice, suggesting that SmMLC may be a potential target for protective immunity in schistosomiasis. These findings suggest that PZQ affects SmMLC function, and this may have a role in PZQ action.

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