title: Tritrichomonas foetus displays classical detergent-resistant membrane microdomains on its cell surface.
abstract: Tritrichomonas foetus is a serious veterinary parasite that causes bovine trichomoniasis, a sexually transmitted disease that results in reproductive failure and considerable economic losses in areas that practice natural breeding. T. foetus is an extracellular parasite, which initially adheres to and infects the urogenital tract using a diverse array of surface glycoconjugates, including adhesins and extracellular matrix-binding molecules. However, the cellular mechanisms by which T. foetus colonizes mucosal surfaces and causes tissue damage are not well defined. Several studies have demonstrated the involvement of pathogen or host lipid rafts in cellular events that occur during pathogenesis, including adhesion, invasion and evasion of the immune response. In this study, we demonstrate that detergent-resistant membranes are present in the plasma membrane of T. foetus. We further demonstrate that microdomains are cholesterol-enriched and contain ganglioside GM1-like molecules. In addition, we demonstrate that lipid microdomains do not participate in T. foetus adhesion to host cells. However, the use of agents that disrupt and disorganize the plasma membrane indicated the involvement of the T. foetus lipid microdomains, in cell division and in the formation of endoflagellar forms. Our results suggest that trophozoites and endoflagellar forms present a different plasma membrane organization.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Santa Úrsula, Rua Jornalista Orlando Dantas 59, Botafogo, CEP 22231-010 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ivone de Andrade
authors.initials: Ide A
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Bioquímica Médica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Georgia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Atella
authors.affiliation: Universidade Santa Úrsula, Rua Jornalista Orlando Dantas 59, Botafogo, CEP 22231-010 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. Electronic address: marlenebenchimol@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Benchimol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000469:parasitology; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000187:drug effects; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003902:Detergents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000378:metabolism; D021962:Membrane Microdomains / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000469:parasitology; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000469:parasitology; D016835:Tritrichomonas foetus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D003902:Detergents; D005732:Gangliosides
keywords: Tritrichomonas foetus; detergent-resistant membrane microdomains; filipin; ganglioside GM1.; lipid rafts; methyl-β-cyclodextrin