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Glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol molecules of the parasite and the host

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

M. A. J. Ferguson ,
J. S. Brimacombe ,
S. Cottaz ,
R. A. Field ,
L. S. Güther ,
S. W. Homans ,
M. J. McConville ,
A. Mehlert ,
K. G. Milne  and
J. E. Ralton
...Show all authors
M. A. J. Ferguson
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
J. S. Brimacombe
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
S. Cottaz
Affiliation:
Department of Chemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
R. A. Field
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K. Department of Chemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
L. S. Güther
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
S. W. Homans
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
M. J. McConville
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
A. Mehlert
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
K. G. Milne
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
J. E. Ralton
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
Y. A. Roy
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
P. Schneider
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
N. Zitzmann
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, University of Dundee, Dundee DD1 4HN, U.K.
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Summary

The glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol (GPI) protein-membrane anchors are ubiquitous among the eukaryotes. However, while mammalian cells typically express in the order of 100 thousand copies of GPI-anchor per cell, the parasitic protozoa, particularly the kinetoplastids, express up to 10–20 million copies of GPI-anchor and/or GPI-related glycolipids per cell. Thus GPI-family members dominate the cell surface molecular architecture of these organisms. In several cases, GPI-anchored proteins, such as the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of the African trypanosomes, or GPI-related glycolipids, such as the lipophosphoglycan (LPG) of the Leishmania, are known to be essential for parasite survival and infectivity. The highly elevated levels and specialised nature of GPI metabolism in the kinetoplastid parasites suggest that the GPI biosynthetic pathways might be good targets for the development of chemotherapeutic agents. This article introduces the range of GPI structures found in protozoan parasites, and their mammalian hosts, and discusses some aspects of GPI biosynthesis.

Keywords

trypanosomeLeishmaniakinetoplastidglycosyl-phosphatidylinositollipophosphoglycan.
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 108 , supplement S1: Symposia of the British Society for Parasitology Volume 31:Functional molecules on the surface of protozoan parasites , March 1994 , pp. S45 - S54
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1994

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