Dynamic changes on the surface of Entamoeba induced by antibodies.

Antibody and Concanavalin A bound to the cell surface of Entamoeba induced segregation of these complexes towards the uroid, followed by an evagination of the membrane portion that contained the components redistributed. This vesiculated cap was released into the medium. Con A polarized all Con A-binding glycoproteins from the surface of the ameba while with antibodies only some of the surface antigens were movilized towards the cap area. This phenomenon was temperature dependent as shown in E. invadens. It was also shown that most of surface antigens that form the cap could not be removed from the cell by proteolysis, suggesting that they were tightly bound to plasma membrane. The interest to define the process of capping in Entamoeba, is because its unique fashion to loss a portion of plasma membrane, and to determine if this phenomenon is related with the ability of ameba to outcome immune injury.