Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Protozoan parasite-specific carbohydrate structures.

Lucia Mendonça-Previato1, Adriane Regina Todeschini, Norton Heise

  • 1Laboratório de Glicobiologia, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Centro de Ciências da Saúde-Bloco G, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Universitária, 21 944 970, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. luciamp@biof.ufrj.br

Current Opinion in Structural Biology
|September 13, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Pathogenic protozoan parasites have unique, developmentally regulated carbohydrates linked to disease. Understanding these parasite glycans offers new avenues for developing diagnostics and treatments against these global health threats.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Glycocalyx-Driven Immunomodulation in Trypanosoma cruzi: Structures, Host Responses, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Targeting.

Parasite immunology·2026
Same author

Structural elucidation of a crystalline mannan from açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) seeds.

International journal of biological macromolecules·2026
Same author

Capsular polysaccharides from Cryptococcus neoformans suppress cancer through apoptosis and immune cell activation.

International immunopharmacology·2025
Same author

The Capsular Polysaccharides GXM and GXMGal from <i>Cryptococcus neoformans</i> Modulate Macrophages Infected with <i>Leishmania major</i>.

Microorganisms·2025
Same author

Immunomodulatory effects of Cryptococcus neoformans capsular polysaccharides on macrophage infected with Trypanosoma cruzi.

Acta tropica·2025
Same author

Comparative Analysis of Glucuronoxylomannogalactan and Glucuronoxylomannan Antibody Responses and Their Associations With Cryptococcal Disease Status in People With HIV.

The Journal of infectious diseases·2025

Area of Science:

  • Glycoscience
  • Parasitology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Pathogenic protozoan parasites display unusual carbohydrate structures.
  • These glycans are often developmentally regulated and linked to parasite pathogenicity.
  • Immune responses in infected humans target parasite glycan determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the structure and function of carbohydrates in major human protozoan parasites.
  • To explore the potential of parasite glycans in diagnostics and therapeutic development.

Main Methods:

  • Elucidation of carbohydrate structures.
  • Investigation of glycan function in parasite pathogenicity.
  • Analysis of immune responses to parasite glycans.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Identified unique and developmentally regulated carbohydrate structures on pathogenic protozoa.
  • Demonstrated a link between specific glycan determinants and parasite pathogenicity.
  • Highlighted the role of cell-surface and secreted glycans in eliciting immune responses.

Conclusions:

  • Parasite-specific carbohydrate structures are crucial for pathogenicity.
  • These unique glycans serve as valuable targets for novel diagnostic and vaccine development.
  • Inhibiting parasite glycan biosynthesis presents a potential therapeutic strategy.