Ebook: Host-Parasite Cellular and Molecular Interactions in Protozoal Infections

Tropical diseases such as leishmaniasis, malaria. trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis and amebiasis continue to plague the world, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality, especially in the third world countries. These diseases are caused by a group of protozoa which have, over the years, undergone evolutionary adaptation to live often intracellularly in a parasitic way of life. So well-adapted have they become that they recognize the right hosts or cells to parasitize, yet at the same time they escape recognition and destruction by the host immune system. The mechanisms of such recognition and the escape of recognition are governed largely by host-parasite surface membrane interactions at the cellular and molecular level. Unique molecules produced by unusual pathways of these parasites have also been discovered and found to play important roles in their survival in the host. Understanding these mechanisms and pathways is essential not only to formulate a rational strategy for chemo- and immuno-prophylaxis and -therapy but also to unravel the mystery of biological evolution in symbiosis and parasitism. In the advent of our knowledge on the molecular biology and biochemistry of parasite membrane and other molecules, it is opportune to examine and discuss their possible roles in host-parasite recognition and interaction in a comparative approach. To highlight the recent advances of this area in various host-parasite systems, a NATO advanced Research Workshop was held from September 27 to October 1, 1986 at Hotel Villa del Mare, Acquafredda di Maratea, Italy.

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This book explains how extracellular and intracellular protozoa of major tropical diseases interact with their hosts and host cells to achieve successful parasitism. The assembled articles represent recent advances made mainly in the biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology of these parasites, with particular reference to the cell surface and other molecules relevant to the process of infection. Special attention is given to the molecular ingenuity of these parasitic protozoa in recognizing host cells and escaping recognition by host defense mechanisms. This book is a basis for cross fertilization of ideas and techniques among different systems in order to achieve a better understanding of the principles of parasitism in general.

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This book explains how extracellular and intracellular protozoa of major tropical diseases interact with their hosts and host cells to achieve successful parasitism. The assembled articles represent recent advances made mainly in the biochemistry, cell biology and molecular biology of these parasites, with particular reference to the cell surface and other molecules relevant to the process of infection. Special attention is given to the molecular ingenuity of these parasitic protozoa in recognizing host cells and escaping recognition by host defense mechanisms. This book is a basis for cross fertilization of ideas and techniques among different systems in order to achieve a better understanding of the principles of parasitism in general.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-XIX
Pattern of Variant Surface Glycoprotein Coating in Nascent Metacyclic Trypanosoma Brucei in the Salivary Glands of Glossina Morsitans....Pages 1-8
Evolution of Antigenic Variation in African Trypanosomes....Pages 9-18
Structural Studies on the Glycophospholipid Membrane Anchor of Trypanosoma Brucei Variant Surface Glycoprotein....Pages 19-28
Metabolism of Trypanothione and Glutathionylspermidine in Trypanosomatids....Pages 29-40
Digestive Enzymes, Receptor-Mediated Endocytosis and Their Role in the Nutrition of the Bloodstream-Form Trypanosome....Pages 41-49
Cell Surface Glycoproteins of Trypanosoma Cruzi....Pages 51-65
A Specific Inhibitor of Trypanosoma Cruzi Neuraminidase Found in Human Plasma....Pages 67-72
Definition of Trypanosoma Cruzi Antigens by Antibodies and T Cells....Pages 73-78
Molecular Pathogenicity of Leishmania in Intracellular Parasitism of Macrophages: Association of Virulent Phenotype with Increased Expression of a Major Membrane Glycoprotein and Microsomal N-Acetylglucosaminyl-Transferase....Pages 79-87
Infectivity of Leishmania Promastigotes is Dependent on the Expression of a 65,000 Dalton Surface Antigen....Pages 89-95
Leishmania Antigens Probed by Monoclonal Antibodies to Leishmania Membrane and to Acetylcholine Receptor....Pages 97-105
Structural Studies on Surface Glycoproteins of Leishmania Promastigotes: Isolation, Amino Acid Composition and Amino Terminal Sequence Studies....Pages 107-116
Membrane Attachment of the Major Surface Protein of Leishmania Promastigotes....Pages 117-122
The Promastigote Surface Protease of Leishmania....Pages 123-136
Acid Protease Activity of Leishmania gp63 and Its Possible Role in Virulence....Pages 137-147
Phosphomonoesterases and Proteinases of Leishmanias....Pages 149-156
Recognition processes involved in binding and ingestion of L. donovani by host macrophages....Pages 157-163
Interaction of Leishmania and Membrane-Stabilizing Drugs with Human Phagocytic Cells....Pages 165-168
Extracellular Development of Erythrocytic Malaria Parasites....Pages 169-173
The Relative Roles of N- And O-Linked Carbohydrate in the Invasion of Human Red Cells by Merozoites of Plasmodium Falciparum....Pages 175-182
Antigens of Plasmodium Falciparum Merozoites: Identification, Isolation and Functional Characterization....Pages 183-188
Studies on the Plasmodium Falciparum 195,000 Molecular Mass Merozoite Surface Antigen Precursor....Pages 189-195
Aspects of the Posttranslational Modification of a Major Plasmodium Falciparum Merozoite Surface Antigen....Pages 197-201
The Knob Protein Gene of Plasmodium Falciparum....Pages 203-211
Phosphoproteins Associated with the Host Erythrocyte Membrane during Plasmodium Chabaudi Infection....Pages 213-221
Malarial Sporozoite - Hepatocyte Interactions Mediating Invasion and Exoerythrocytic Development....Pages 223-227
Structural Homology of Membrane Proteins of Babesia Rodhaini....Pages 229-233
The Mechanism by which Interferon Gamma Blocks the Growth of Toxoplasma Gondii in Cultured Fibroblasts....Pages 235-244
Trypanosomatid-Vector Interfaces - In Vitro Studies on Parasite Substrate Interactions....Pages 245-254
The Microecology of Leishmania in the Gut and Proboscis of the Sandfly....Pages 255-263
The Cellular and Molecular Interactions of Malaria Species with Their Mosquito Vectors....Pages 265-274
Concluding Remarks....Pages 275-279
Back Matter....Pages 281-296
....Pages 297-306