Author
Thomas Ilg
Other affiliations: University of Melbourne, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
Bio: Thomas Ilg is an academic researcher from Max Planck Society. The author has contributed to research in topics: Leishmania mexicana & Lipophosphoglycan. The author has an hindex of 35, co-authored 66 publications receiving 3159 citations. Previous affiliations of Thomas Ilg include University of Melbourne & Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.
Topics: Leishmania mexicana, Lipophosphoglycan, Amastigote, Leishmania, Mannose
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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TL;DR: Analysis of inocula from Leishmania mexicana-infected Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies revealed the size of the infectious dose, the underlying mechanism of parasite delivery by regurgitation, and the novel contribution made to infection by filamentous proteophosphoglycan (fPPG), a component of promastigote secretory gel found to accompany the parasites during transmission.
Abstract: Sand flies are the exclusive vectors of the protozoan parasite Leishmania, but the mechanism of transmission by fly bite has not been determined nor incorporated into experimental models of infection. In sand flies with mature Leishmania infections the anterior midgut is blocked by a gel of parasite origin, the promastigote secretory gel. Here we analyse the inocula from Leishmania mexicana-infected Lutzomyia longipalpis sand flies. Analysis revealed the size of the infectious dose, the underlying mechanism of parasite delivery by regurgitation, and the novel contribution made to infection by filamentous proteophosphoglycan (fPPG), a component of promastigote secretory gel found to accompany the parasites during transmission. Collectively these results have important implications for understanding the relationship between the parasite and its vector, the pathology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in humans and also the development of effective vaccines and drugs. These findings emphasize that to fully understand transmission of vector-borne diseases the interaction between the parasite, its vector and the mammalian host must be considered together.
275 citations
TL;DR: In agreement with the superior RDL on-target activity, fluralaner outperformed dieldrin and fipronil in insecticidal screens on cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis), yellow fever mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti) and sheep blowfly larvae (Lucilia cuprina), as well as in acar suicidal screens on cattle tick (R. microplus) adult females and Ornithodoros moubata nymphs.
199 citations
TL;DR: The chemical structure, the ultrastructure, the genes and the potential functions of different members of this novel family of parasite glycoproteins are reviewed.
140 citations
TL;DR: The results demonstrate that at least L.mexicana does not require LPG for experimental infections of macrophages or mice, and Leishmania mexicana LPG is therefore not a virulence factor in the mammalian host.
Abstract: Cell surface lipophosphoglycan (LPG) is commonly regarded as a multifunctional Leishmania virulence factor required for survival and development of these parasites in mammals In this study, the LPG biosynthesis gene lpg1 was deleted in Leishmania mexicana by targeted gene replacement The resulting mutants are deficient in LPG synthesis but still display on their surface and secrete phosphoglycan-modified molecules, most likely in the form of proteophosphoglycans, whose expression appears to be up-regulated LPG-deficient Lmexicana promastigotes show no significant differences to LPG-expressing parasites with respect to attachment to, uptake into and multiplication inside macrophages Moreover, in Balb/c and C57/BL6 mice, LPG-deficient Lmexicana clones are at least as virulent as the parental wild-type strain and lead to lethal disseminated disease The results demonstrate that at least Lmexicana does not require LPG for experimental infections of macrophages or mice Leishmania mexicana LPG is therefore not a virulence factor in the mammalian host
133 citations
TL;DR: Immunoblotting experiments demonstrate that amastigotes synthesize hydrophilic high-molecular weight compounds which stain blue with Stains-all and cross-react with the monoclonal and polyvalent antibodies suggesting the presence of similar phosphoglycan structures as in LPG.
119 citations
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TL;DR: Governed by parasite and host factors and immunoinflammatory responses, the clinical spectrum of leishmaniasis encompasses subclinical (inapparent), localised (skin lesions), and disseminated infection (cutaneous, mucosal, or visceral).
1,621 citations
TL;DR: New structural information has increased the understanding of the structural determinants of LRR proteins and the ability to model such proteins with unknown structures, and has shed new light on how these proteins participate in protein-protein interactions.
1,604 citations
TL;DR: A historic perspective on the development of the field is provided, common trends are emphasized, and new directions in c-di-GMP research are highlighted that will give a deeper understanding of this truly universal bacterial second messenger.
Abstract: SUMMARY Twenty-five years have passed since the discovery of cyclic dimeric (3′→5′) GMP (cyclic di-GMP or c-di-GMP). From the relative obscurity of an allosteric activator of a bacterial cellulose synthase, c-di-GMP has emerged as one of the most common and important bacterial second messengers. Cyclic di-GMP has been shown to regulate biofilm formation, motility, virulence, the cell cycle, differentiation, and other processes. Most c-di-GMP-dependent signaling pathways control the ability of bacteria to interact with abiotic surfaces or with other bacterial and eukaryotic cells. Cyclic di-GMP plays key roles in lifestyle changes of many bacteria, including transition from the motile to the sessile state, which aids in the establishment of multicellular biofilm communities, and from the virulent state in acute infections to the less virulent but more resilient state characteristic of chronic infectious diseases. From a practical standpoint, modulating c-di-GMP signaling pathways in bacteria could represent a new way of controlling formation and dispersal of biofilms in medical and industrial settings. Cyclic di-GMP participates in interkingdom signaling. It is recognized by mammalian immune systems as a uniquely bacterial molecule and therefore is considered a promising vaccine adjuvant. The purpose of this review is not to overview the whole body of data in the burgeoning field of c-di-GMP-dependent signaling. Instead, we provide a historic perspective on the development of the field, emphasize common trends, and illustrate them with the best available examples. We also identify unresolved questions and highlight new directions in c-di-GMP research that will give us a deeper understanding of this truly universal bacterial second messenger.
1,391 citations
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute1, Seattle Biomed2, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven3, GATC Biotech4, Max Planck Society5, Washington University in St. Louis6, University of Trieste7, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology8, European Bioinformatics Institute9, University of São Paulo10, National Scientific and Technical Research Council11, Université catholique de Louvain12, University of London13, University of Edinburgh14, University of Glasgow15, University of Wisconsin-Madison16, University of York17, University of Cambridge18, University of Washington19
TL;DR: The organization of protein-coding genes into long, strand-specific, polycistronic clusters and lack of general transcription factors in the L. major, Trypanosoma brucei, and Tritryp genomes suggest that the mechanisms regulating RNA polymerase II–directed transcription are distinct from those operating in other eukaryotes, although the trypanosomatids appear capable of chromatin remodeling.
Abstract: Leishmania species cause a spectrum of human diseases in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. We have sequenced the 36 chromosomes of the 32.8-megabase haploid genome of Leishmania major (Friedlin strain) and predict 911 RNA genes, 39 pseudogenes, and 8272 protein-coding genes, of which 36% can be ascribed a putative function. These include genes involved in host-pathogen interactions, such as proteolytic enzymes, and extensive machinery for synthesis of complex surface glycoconjugates. The organization of protein-coding genes into long, strand-specific, polycistronic clusters and lack of general transcription factors in the L. major, Trypanosoma brucei, and Trypanosoma cruzi (Tritryp) genomes suggest that the mechanisms regulating RNA polymerase II-directed transcription are distinct from those operating in other eukaryotes, although the trypanosomatids appear capable of chromatin remodeling. Abundant RNA-binding proteins are encoded in the Tritryp genomes, consistent with active posttranscriptional regulation of gene expression.
1,357 citations
TL;DR: This review concludes that Etherification without Cyclization and N-Alkylation should be considered as separate science, and the proposed treatment of Etherification with Cyclization as a separate science should be reconsidered.
Abstract: 10. Patented Literature 2616 10.1. Esterification 2616 10.2. Ether Formation 2619 10.2.1. Etherification without Cyclization 2619 10.2.2. Etherification with Cyclization 2624 10.3. N-Alkylation 2625 10.4. Other Reactions 2627 11. Summary and Outlook 2628 12. Note Added in Proof 2628 13. Abbreviations Used in This Review 2629 14. Acknowledgments 2629 15. Supporting Information Available 2630 16. References 2630
909 citations