Proteomic examination of Leishmania chagasi plasma membrane proteins: Contrast between avirulent and virulent (metacyclic) parasite forms.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

About two million new cases of leishmaniasis with 50 000 associated deaths occur worldwide each year. Promastigotes of the causative Leishmania spp. develop from the procyclic stage to the highly virulent metacyclic stage within the sand fly vector. We hypothesized that proteins important for promastigote virulence might be uniquely represented in the plasma membrane of metacyclic, but not procyclic, promastigotes.

Experimental design

Procyclic (logarithmic) promastigotes and purified metacyclic promastigotes from stationary phase cultures of Leishmania chagasi were used to prepare membrane preparations either by surface biotinylation-streptavidin affinity separation or by octyl glucoside detergent extraction.

Results

These membrane fractions were enriched ove

SUBMITTER: Yao C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3049999 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature