title: Innate immune activation and subversion of Mammalian functions by leishmania lipophosphoglycan.
abstract: Leishmania promastigotes express several prominent glycoconjugates, either secreted or anchored to the parasite surface. Of these lipophosphoglycan (LPG) is the most abundant, and along with other phosphoglycan-bearing molecules, plays important roles in parasite infectivity and pathogenesis in both the sand fly and the mammalian host. Besides its contribution for parasite survival in the sand fly vector, LPG is important for modulation the host immune responses to favor the establishment of mammalian infection. This review will summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of LPG in Leishmania infectivity, focusing on the interaction of LPG and innate immune cells and in the subversion of mammalian functions by this molecule.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, FMRP/USP, 14049-900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Beverley
authors.forename: Dario S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Zamboni