Earthworm protease in anti-thrombosis and anti-fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Earthworms are widely used in basic and applied research in medicine, food, environment and agriculture, in which for instance earthworm protease has its own biochemical features.

SCOPE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes earthworm protease biochemical features in anti-thrombosis and anti-fibrosis, and provides new perspectives for earthworm to be used in biochemical and pharmaceutical studies.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: Earthworm protease functions in anti-thrombosis by its fibrinolytic activity and inhibiting platelets aggregation, and anti-fibrosis by its decreasing fibronectin, collagen and laminin, showing a broad substrate specificity. The protease regulators (U3EE) from earthworm also has multiple functions acting as an activator and an inhibitor on different target proteins. Nonetheless, the protease improves the substrate selectivity through substrate-induced changes in the protease active site conformation impact on subsequent reactions with substrates.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is predictable that both biochemical and applied studies of earthworm proteins including protease will be wider and deeper in the future.