title: Effect of a phorbol ester on basic surface properties of trichomonads.
abstract: The effect of nanomolar concentrations of 12-O-tetradecanoilphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) on the cell surface of the urogenital parasitic protozoa Trichomonas vaginalis and Tritrichomonas foetus was evaluated by means of measurements of the parasites' surface tension, electrokinesis, lectin agglutination tests, and adhesion to inert substrates. TPA-treated parasites had their adhesion increased to both plastic and glass substrates. This was accompanied by increases in the parasites' net negative surface charge and also by changes in their surface tension. The lectin agglutination assays suggest that the increase in surface negativeness may be related in some extent to alterations in the oligosaccharide composition. Successive treatment of the microorganisms with TPA and sphingosine, a well-known competitive inhibitor of the phorbol ester active site, depressed the tendency of trichomonads to exhibit a phenotype of activated cells.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitologia e Biofísica Celular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: V L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Bonilha
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Saraiva
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Silva Filho
mesh_terms: D000372:Agglutination Tests; D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D009844:Oligosaccharides / Q000032:analysis; D012995:Solubility; D013499:Surface Properties; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014244:Trichomonas / Q000187:drug effects*; D014246:Trichomonas vaginalis / Q000187:drug effects*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D009844:Oligosaccharides; D014867:Water; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate