AUTHOR=De Meyer Frédéric , Carlier Aurélien TITLE=Ecotin: A versatile protease inhibitor of bacteria and eukaryotes JOURNAL=Frontiers in Microbiology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/microbiology/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1114690 DOI=10.3389/fmicb.2023.1114690 ISSN=1664-302X ABSTRACT=

Serine protease inhibitors are a large family of proteins involved in important pathways and processes, such as inflammatory responses and blood clotting. Most are characterized by a precise mode of action, thereby targeting a narrow range of protease substrates. However, the serine-protease inhibitor ecotin is able to inhibit a broad range of serine proteases that display a wide range of specificities. This specificity is driven by special structural features which allow unique flexibility upon binding to targets. Although frequently observed in many human/animal-associated bacteria, ecotin homologs may also be found in plant-associated taxa and environmental species. The purpose of this review is to provide an update on the biological importance, role in host–microbe interactions, and evolutionary relationship between ecotin orthologs isolated from Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic species across the Tree of Life.