Sink or swim: lipid rafts in parasite pathogenesis.
Lipid rafts, sterol- and sphingolipid-rich membrane microdomains, have been extensively studied in mammalian cells. Recently, lipid rafts have been shown to control virulence in a variety of parasites including Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia intestinalis, Leishmania spp., Plasmodium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Trypanosoma spp. Parasite rafts regulate adhesion to host and invasion, and parasite adhesion molecules often localize to rafts. Parasite rafts also control vesicle trafficking, motility, and cell signaling. Parasites disrupt host cell rafts; the dysregulation of host membrane function facilitates the establishment of infection and evasion of the host immune system. Discerning the mechanism by which lipid rafts regulate parasite pathogenesis is essential to our understanding of virulence. Such insight may guide the development of new drugs for disease management.
Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
Amanda M
AM
Goldston
Rhonda R
RR
Powell
Lesly A
LA
Temesvari
D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D004705:Endocytosis; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000276:immunology / Q000472:pathogenicity / Q000502:physiology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D006801:Humans; D055633:Immune System Phenomena; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000469:parasitology*; D011528:Protozoan Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D015800:Protozoan Proteins