Participation of actin on Giardia lamblia growth and encystation.
BACKGROUND
Microfilaments play a determinant role in different cell processes such as: motility, cell division, phagocytosis and intracellular transport; however, these structures are poorly understood in the parasite Giardia lamblia.


RESULTS
By confocal microscopy using TRITC-phalloidin, we found structured actin distributed in the entire trophozoite, the label stand out at the ventral disc, median body, flagella and around the nuclei. During Giardia encystation, a sequence of morphological changes concurrent to modifications on the distribution of structured actin and in the expression of actin mRNA were observed. To elucidate whether actin participates actively on growth and encystation, cells were treated with Cytochalasin D, Latrunculin A and Jasplakinolide and analyzed by confocal and scanning electron microscopy. All drugs caused a growth reduction (27 to 45%) and changes on the distribution of actin. Besides, 60 to 80% of trophozoites treated with the drugs, exhibited damage at the caudal region, alterations in the flagella and wrinkles-like on the plasma membrane. The drugs also altered the cyst-yield and the morphology, scanning electron microscopy revealed diminished cytokinesis, cysts with damages in the wall and alterations in the size and on the intermembranal space. Furthermore, the drugs caused a significant reduction of the intensity of fluorescence-labeled CWP1 on ESV and on cyst wall, this was coincident with a reduction of CWP1 gene expression (34%).


CONCLUSIONS
All our results, indicated an important role of actin in the morphology, growth and encystation and indirectly suggested an actin role in gene expression.
Departamento de Biologia Celular, CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico Distrito Federal, Mexico.
Araceli
A
Castillo-Romero
Gloria
G
Leon-Avila
Armando
A
Perez Rangel
Rafael
R
Cortes Zarate
Carlos
C
Garcia Tovar
Jose Manuel
JM
Hernandez
D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D000199:Actins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000737:chemistry; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000737:chemistry; D047630:Depsipeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016829:Giardia lamblia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning / Q000379:methods; D008954:Models, Biological; D010590:Phalloidine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012235:Rhodamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D053778:Thiazolidines / Q000737:chemistry
D000199:Actins; D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D047630:Depsipeptides; D012235:Rhodamines; D053778:Thiazolidines; C057531:jasplakinolide; D010590:Phalloidine; D015638:Cytochalasin D; C041085:tetramethylrhodaminylphalloidine; C037067:latrunculin A