Arginine metabolism has a pivotal function for the encystation of Giardia duodenalis.

ABSTRACT: Arginine metabolism plays a key role in the energy metabolism of the intestinal parasite Giardia duodenalis, an amitochondrial protozoan that infects humans and animals and causes significant morbidity. Despite that an arginine deiminase (ADI) has been implicated in virulence, it remains unknown if ADI allele variants from the different genetic G. duodenalis subgroups (assemblages) differ in function. Here, the hypothesis was tested that sequence variation detected between G. duodenalis ADI alleles from the two G. duodenalis assemblage types found in humans affects functional parameters of the enzyme with potential consequences in life cycle progression. The ADI enzyme's affinity for arginine was ~ 5fold reduced in sub-assemblage AII isolates, a human specific assemblage, in comparison to

SUBMITTER: Klotz C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12810918 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature