title: Proteophosphoglycan secreted by Leishmania mexicana amastigotes causes vacuole formation in macrophages.
abstract: The amastigote form of Leishmania mexicana parasites colonizes macrophage phagolysosomes and induces the enlargement of these compartments to form huge parasitophorous vacuoles. We report here that a purified secreted amastigote product, proteophosphoglycan, is a macromolecule which causes vacuolization of peritoneal macrophages in vitro. Secretion of this glycoconjugate by intracellular parasites may contribute to the expansion of phagolysosomal compartments in infected cells.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Biologie, Abteilung Membranbiochemie, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Y D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Stierhof
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ilg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007894:Leishmania mexicana / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017737:Macrophages, Peritoneal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008970:Molecular Weight; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D006028:Glycosphingolipids; C008290:lipophosphonoglycan