Figure 3. The effects of cathepsins on the cleavage of PEC VP1 and VP2.
Concentrated PEC were incubated with a recombinant cathepsin L or cathepsin B in a cathepsin reaction buffer at pH 4.0 or pH 5.5, respectively, for 2 h at 37°C. Mock-treatment samples were incubated in PBS at pH 7.0. The samples were then subjected to SDS-PAGE, transferred to nitrocellulose membrane, probed with antibodies against PEC VP1 or VP2 and visualized by chemiluminescence. Uncleaved or cleaved VP1 and VP2 are indicated by arrows.