A dipeptidylpeptidase (DPP) was isolated from Fasciola hepatica by gel-filtration and ion-exchange chromatography. The exoproteinase is secreted by newly excysted juveniles, immature and mature flukes. The liver fluke DPP is a serine proteinase of molecular weight > 200 kDa and differs from previously characterized mammalian DPPs in its substrate preference and susceptibility to inactivation by inhibitors. The parasite DPP may function in the latter stages of the proteolytic digestion of host macromolecules. In this manner, the enzyme may be important in providing the parasite with dipeptides that could be absorbed through the intestine as nutrient.
