Cowhage-Evoked Itch Is Mediated by a Novel Cysteine Protease: A Ligand of Protease-Activated Receptors

Cowhage spicules provide an important model for histamine-independent itch. We determined that the active component of cowhage, termed mucunain, is a novel cysteine protease. We isolated mucunain and demonstrate that both native and recombinant mucunain evoke the same quality of itch in humans. We also show that mucunain is a ligand for protease-activated receptors two and four. These results support and expand the relationship between proteases, protease-activated receptors, and itch.

• Publication year

  2008

• Venue

  Journal of Neuroscience

• Publication date

  2008-04-23

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0716-08.2008PMID 18434511PMCID PMC2659338
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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