Chava Anil K, Bandyopadhyay Sumi, Chatterjee Mitali, Mandal Chitra
Immunobiology Division, Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, 4, Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032, India.
Glycoconj J. 2004;20(3):199-206. doi: 10.1023/B:GLYC.0000024251.30100.08.
Protozoan parasites including Plasmodia, Leishmania, Trypanosoma, Entamoeba, Trichomonas and others cause diseases in humans and domestic livestock having far-reaching socio-economic implications. They show remarkable propensity to survive within hostile environments encountered during their life cycle, and the identification of molecules that enable them to survive in such milieu is a subject of intense research. Currently available knowledge of the parasite cell surface architecture and biochemistry indicates that sialic acid and its principle derivatives are major components of the glycocalyx and assist the parasite to interact with its external environment through functions ranging from parasite survival, infectivity and host-cell recognition. This review highlights the present state of knowledge with regard to parasite sialobiology with an emphasis on its mode(s) of acquisition and their emerging biological roles, notably as an anti-recognition molecule thereby aiding the pathogen to evade host defense mechanisms.
包括疟原虫、利什曼原虫、锥虫、溶组织内阿米巴、滴虫等在内的原生动物寄生虫可导致人类和家畜患病，具有深远的社会经济影响。它们在生命周期中遇到的恶劣环境中表现出显著的生存倾向，而鉴定使它们能够在这种环境中生存的分子是一项深入研究的课题。目前关于寄生虫细胞表面结构和生物化学的知识表明，唾液酸及其主要衍生物是糖萼的主要成分，并通过从寄生虫存活、感染性和宿主细胞识别等功能协助寄生虫与其外部环境相互作用。本综述重点介绍了寄生虫唾液酸生物学的当前知识状态，重点关注其获取方式及其新出现的生物学作用，特别是作为一种抗识别分子，从而帮助病原体逃避宿主防御机制。
