Showing papers in "Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology in 2012"

TL;DR: This review explores how kinetoplastids change gene expression by looking at life-cycle stage specific changes in chromatin, mRNA processing, mRNA stability, mRNA translation, protein stability and protein modifications.

TL;DR: This work performed an LC-MS/MS proteomic analysis of the excretory-secretory products obtained from the first 48 h of an in vitro culture of the protoscoleces, revealing a set of identified proteins not previously thought to be exposed at the host-parasite interface.

TL;DR: The findings implicate γH2A in mitosis-entry checkpoint signaling and trypanosomal γ H2A and RAD51 positive damage and repair foci are most often seen in S-phase and G2.

TL;DR: The dependence of parasites over the host cellular machinery to accomplish infection and complete their biological cycles, together with the potential manipulation of host's responses through parasite miRNAs, point out that the miRNA machinery is particularly interesting to seek for alternative therapeutic approaches against parasites.

TL;DR: Eight novel candidate genes selected from a microarray analysis and four commonly used reference genes were systematically validated in a series of qPCR experiments and provided data for genes that can be explored as reliable references in transcriptomic analysis of S. japonicum for the first time.

TL;DR: Comparative proteomic-based analysis of Leishmania (Viannia) panamensis lines selected in vitro for resistance to trivalent antimony to reveal previously unrecognized steps in the mechanism(s) of Sb tolerance, and suggest a cross-talk between drug resistance, metabolism and virulence.

TL;DR: The faecal metabolite extraction method demonstrated good extraction reproducibility with a relative standard deviation of 9.14%.

TL;DR: A next-generation, highly versatile transfection vector set that facilitates advancing experimental genetic strategies towards a genome-wide scale and will greatly facilitate functional assignment to predicted and orphan Plasmodium gene models by multiple experimental genetics approaches is proposed.

TL;DR: A range of new molecular tools have been developed in recent years, allowing for the direct examination of parasites from clinical or environmental samples, and providing access to relatively cheap, rapid, high throughput molecular assays.

TL;DR: A growing body of evidence suggests that this parasite is a real "box of tricks" with regards to protein traffic, and these tricks may be turned against the parasite by exploiting them as novel therapeutic targets.

TL;DR: This review highlights metabolomics approaches that are currently being applied to the kinetoplastid parasites, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania spp.

TL;DR: A transgenic P. falciparum NF54 parasite that expresses a GFP-luciferase transgene throughout the life cycle is created that will accelerate testing of interventions against pre-erythrocytic life cycle stages.

TL;DR: It is proposed that it is the greater transcriptomic flexibility of juvenile schistosomes that allows them to respond to and survive exposure to PZQ in vivo and is the need to develop a new generation of more broadly effective anti-schistosomal drugs.

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that telomere-associated repeat elements (TAREs) and telomeres are transcribed as long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) during schizogony and the TARE-6 lncRNA is predicted to form a stable and repetitive hairpin structure that is able to bind histones.

TL;DR: This review is an update on the recent progress in research on leishmanial arginase including the role played by this enzyme in the establishment of infection in macrophages and the immune response of the host.

TL;DR: Surprisingly, targeting of ISP4 to the IMC membranes is dependent on residues predicted for palmitoylation but not myristoylation, setting its trafficking apart from the other ISP proteins and demonstrating distinct mechanisms of protein localization to theIMC membranes, even within a family of highly related proteins.

TL;DR: This work presents a summary of findings on SIR2 proteins structure, function and localisation in parasitic protozoa, with phylogenetic classification.

TL;DR: The complete mt genome sequence reported here provides new genetic markers for investigating phylogenetic and geographic relationships between isolates, and assessing population diversity within endemic regions, and illustrates the utility of this sequence and single nucleotide polymorphisms by inferring the divergence times between the three W. bancrofti isolates.

TL;DR: Detailed analysis ofStructural and functional data are now available for several coccidian MICs, providing insights into their receptor specificities and modes of recognition in atomic detail, and encouraging rationalization of the marked differences in the host and tissue tropism.

TL;DR: The data suggest that DiES antigens interact with the environment of the parasite regulating the activation of the fibrinolytic system of the host with involvement of the vascular endothelium in the process.

TL;DR: Functional investigation of the rhomboid-like proteases in other protozoan parasites will likely uncover novel and unexpected implications for this family of proteases.

TL;DR: These findings demonstrate that TgDHOD is associated with the parasite's mitochondrion, revealing this organelle as the site of orotate production in T. gondii and suggests that TGDH OD is an excellent target for the development of anti-Toxoplasma drugs.

TL;DR: A quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay is reported that provides a reliable, relative measure of parasite load in intermediate hosts and provides a new tool for quantification of larvae from intermediate hosts, and potentially from other sources as well.

TL;DR: Results indicate that AcAtg16 is involved in autophagosome formation and plays an essential role in the encystation of Acanthamoeba.

TL;DR: Evidence is provided of the important role of CSCP in autophagosomal degradation of cell constituents, particularly mitochondria, during encystation of Acanthamoeba.

TL;DR: It is shown that overexpression of LdFeSODA protects the mitochondria of Leishmania from oxidative stress thereby inhibiting programmed cell death.

TL;DR: Graphical abstract In isolates of Trichomonas vaginalis with reduced susceptibility metronidazole, flavin reductase and alcohol dehydrogenase-1 (ADH1) activities are down-regulated.

TL;DR: Results show that the host erythrocyte receptor glycophorin B directly interacts with the DBL domain of parasite EBL-1, and the core binding site is contained within the 69 amino acid F2i region (residues 601-669) of the D BL domain.

TL;DR: This study demonstrates the existence of the RNAi phenomenon in P. coffeae and shows that the function of unc-87 and pat-10 genes has been evolutionarily conserved among free-living and plant parasitic nematodes.

TL;DR: The development of a simple flow cytometric assay that can be used to quantitatively assess P. falciparum sporozoite infection in vitro in low and medium throughput is described and it is demonstrated the utility of this assay for assessing both drug inhibition of infection and measuring efficacy of antibodies in blocking parasite infection.