Lesson plan
ficain
Ficain also known as ficin, debricin, or higueroxyl delabarre ( ) is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from the latex sap from the stems, leaves, and unripe fruit of the American wild fig tree Ficus insipida. Ficain was originally called ficin, and ficin was originally a mixture of closely related cysteine endopeptidases produced from any species of the genus Ficus, before the terminology was restricted to a specific cysteine endopeptidase enzyme from a specific species. Cysteine endopeptidases are a group of enzymes that also include the more distantly related papain derived from papaya latex, bromelase (bromelain) extracted from pineapple stem, calpain, caspases, cathepsin B, and chymopapain. Cysteine endopeptidases with similar properties known generically as ficins are present in other members of the genus Ficus, and many species appear to contain multiple types of these enzymes. Somewhat confusingly, the terms ficain and ficin are often treated as synonyms. Ficain is in the MEROPS clan CA, family C1, subfamily C1A, peptidase C01.006.
Article summary
Ficain also known as ficin, debricin, or higueroxyl delabarre ( ) is a proteolytic enzyme extracted from the latex sap from the stems, leaves, and unripe fruit of the American wild fig tree Ficus insipida. Ficain was originally called ficin, and ficin was originally a mixture of closely related cysteine endopeptidases produced from any species of the genus Ficus, before the terminology was restricted to a specific cysteine endopeptidase enzyme from a specific species. Cysteine endopeptidases are a group of enzymes that also include the more distantly related papain derived from papaya latex, bromelase (bromelain) extracted from pineapple stem, calpain, caspases, cathepsin B, and chymopapain. Cysteine endopeptidases with similar properties known generically as ficins are present in other members of the genus Ficus, and many species appear to contain multiple types of these enzymes. Somewhat confusingly, the terms ficain and ficin are often treated as synonyms. Ficain is in the MEROPS clan CA, family C1, subfamily C1A, peptidase C01.006.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.