Cryptosporidium parvum scavenges LDL-derived cholesterol and micellar cholesterol internalized into enterocytes.

ABSTRACT: Cryptosporidium spp. are responsible for devastating diarrhoea in immunodeficient individuals. In the intestinal tract, the developmental stages of the parasite are confined to the apical surfaces of epithelial cells. Upon invasion, Cryptosporidium incorporates the microvillous membrane of the enterocyte to form the parasitophorous vacuole (PV) and sequesters itself from the host cytoplasm by rearranging the host cytoskeleton. Cryptosporidium parvum has minimal anabolic capabilities and relies on transporters and salvage pathways to meet its basic metabolic requirements. The cholesterol salvage pathway is crucial for the development of protozoan parasites. In this study, we have examined the sources of cholesterol from C. parvum infecting enterocytes. We illustrated that the intracellular

SUBMITTER: Ehrenman K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3644335 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature