The second cysteine protease inhibitor, EhICP2, has a different localization in trophozoites of Entamoeba histolytica than EhICP1.

The genome of Entamoeba histolytica contains two genes encoding inhibitors of cysteine proteases of the chagasin family. In contrast to that of EhICP1, the derived primary structure of the second inhibitor, EhICP2, possesses a typical N-terminal signal sequence. Processed EhICP2 is as weakly related to amoebiasin-1 (27% identity) as to chagasin (identity 30%), indicating a different evolutionary origin of both amebic genes. By Northern blots, we confirmed the expression of the ehicp2 gene, and in Western blots, the presence of the 11.5-kDa protein in trophozoite extracts was demonstrated. The inhibitor localized to large intracellular structures clearly differs from those containing EhICP1 as shown by indirect immunofluorescence. Recombinant EhICP2 significantly inhibited the cysteine protease activity of the amebic cell extract but with a lower extent than EhICP1. An overlay assay using a crude trophozoite extract demonstrated binding affinity of the amebic cysteine protease EhCP1 to EhICP2.