title: Glycoconjugates in New World species of Leishmania: polymorphisms in lipophosphoglycan and glycoinositolphospholipids and interaction with hosts.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania cause a number of important diseases in humans and undergo a complex life cycle, alternating between a sand fly vector and vertebrate hosts. The parasites have a remarkable capacity to avoid destruction in which surface molecules are determinant for survival. Amongst the many surface molecules of Leishmania, the glycoconjugates are known to play a central role in host-parasite interactions and are the focus of this review.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The most abundant and best studied glycoconjugates are the Lipophosphoglycans (LPGs) and glycoinositolphospholipids (GIPLs). This review summarizes the main studies on structure and biological functions of these molecules in New World Leishmania species.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LPG and GIPLs are complex molecules that display inter- and intraspecies polymorphisms. They are key elements for survival inside the vector and to modulate the vertebrate immune response during infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most of the studies on glycoconjugates focused on Old World Leishmania species. Here, it is reported some of the studies involving New World species and their biological significance on host-parasite interaction. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Glycoproteomics.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, FIOCRUZ, Av. Augusto de Lima, 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG 30190-002, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Ramiro
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: de Assis
authors.forename: Izabela Coimbra
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ibraim
authors.forename: Paula Monalisa
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: Rodrigo Pedro
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: Salvatore J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Turco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000235:genetics*; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / Q000235:genetics*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D016773:Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous / Q000235:genetics* / Q000469:parasitology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000502:physiology; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D006001:Glycoconjugates; D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D017261:Glycosylphosphatidylinositols; C008290:lipophosphonoglycan