Understanding the laminated layer of larval Echinococcus I: structure.
Echinococcus larvae are protected by a massive carbohydrate-rich acellular structure, called the laminated layer. In spite of being widely considered the crucial element of these host-parasite interfaces, the laminated layer has been historically poorly understood. In fact, it is still often called 'chitinous', 'hyaline' or 'cuticular' layer, or said to be composed of polysaccharides. However, over the past few years the laminated layer was found to be comprised of mucins bearing defined galactose-rich carbohydrates, and accompanied, in the case of Echinococcus granulosus, by calcium inositol hexakisphosphate deposits. In this review, the architecture and biosynthesis of this unusual structure is discussed at depth in terms of what is known and what needs to be discovered.
Cátedra de Inmunología, Departamento de Biociencias, Facultad de Química/Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay. adiaz@fq.edu.uy
Alvaro
A
Díaz
Cecilia
C
Casaravilla
Florencia
F
Irigoín
Gerardo
G
Lin
José O
JO
Previato
Fernando
F
Ferreira
D000818:Animals; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D007814:Larva; D009077:Mucins / Q000737:chemistry*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry*
D009077:Mucins; D011134:Polysaccharides