Degradation of Hemoglobin by Trichomonas tenax

Abstract

The culture-filtrate and the cell-debris fractions of a human oral flagellated protozoa, Trichomonas tenax, were examined for the degradation of sheep and human hemoglobin. The cell-debris fraction had activity to degrade hemoglobin, which was inhibited by a cysteine protease inhibitor, E-64. The degradation seemed to be due to the digestion of globin polypeptides.