Arginases in parasitic diseases

Abstract Parasites have elaborated a variety of strategies for invading hosts and escaping immune responses. This article proposes that a common mechanism whereby different parasites escape nitric oxide (NO) toxicity is the activation of arginase. This leads to a depletion of l-arginine (substrate of NO synthase, resulting in lower levels of cytotoxic NO) and increased production of polyamines (necessary for parasite growth and differentiation).