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Clinical Microbiology Reviews Jul 2001Giardia lamblia is a common cause of diarrhea in humans and other mammals throughout the world. It can be distinguished from other Giardia species by light or electron... (Review)
Review
Giardia lamblia is a common cause of diarrhea in humans and other mammals throughout the world. It can be distinguished from other Giardia species by light or electron microscopy. The two major genotypes of G. lamblia that infect humans are so different genetically and biologically that they may warrant separate species or subspecies designations. Trophozoites have nuclei and a well-developed cytoskeleton but lack mitochondria, peroxisomes, and the components of oxidative phosphorylation. They have an endomembrane system with at least some characteristics of the Golgi complex and encoplasmic reticulum, which becomes more extensive in encysting organisms. The primitive nature of the organelles and metabolism, as well as small-subunit rRNA phylogeny, has led to the proposal that Giardia spp. are among the most primitive eukaryotes. G. lamblia probably has a ploidy of 4 and a genome size of approximately 10 to 12 Mb divided among five chromosomes. Most genes have short 5' and 3' untranslated regions and promoter regions that are near the initiation codon. Trophozoites exhibit antigenic variation of an extensive repertoire of cysteine-rich variant-specific surface proteins. Expression is allele specific, and changes in expression from one vsp gene to another have not been associated with sequence alterations or gene rearrangements. The Giardia genome project promises to greatly increase our understanding of this interesting and enigmatic organism.
Topics: Animals; Antigenic Variation; Antigens, Protozoan; Genes, Protozoan; Giardia lamblia; Giardiasis; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans
PubMed: 11432808
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.14.3.447-475.2001 -
PLoS Pathogens Sep 2018
Review
Topics: Animals; Diarrhea; Giardia lamblia; Giardiasis; Humans; Protozoan Vaccines; Vacuoles
PubMed: 30261050
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007250 -
Parasitology Research Apr 2024Giardia duodenalis, the protozoan responsible for giardiasis, is a significant contributor to millions of diarrheal diseases worldwide. Despite the availability of... (Review)
Review
Giardia duodenalis, the protozoan responsible for giardiasis, is a significant contributor to millions of diarrheal diseases worldwide. Despite the availability of treatments for this parasitic infection, therapeutic failures are alarmingly frequent. Thus, there is a clear need to identify new therapeutic targets. Giardia telomeres were previously identified, but our understanding of these structures and the critical role played by Giardia telomerase in maintaining genomic stability and its influence on cellular processes remains limited. In this regard, it is known that all Giardia chromosomes are capped by small telomeres, organized and protected by specific proteins that regulate their functions. To counteract natural telomere shortening and maintain high proliferation, Giardia exhibits constant telomerase activity and employs additional mechanisms, such as the formation of G-quadruplex structures and the involvement of transposable elements linked to telomeric repeats. Thus, this study aims to address the existing knowledge gap by compiling the available information (until 2023) about Giardia telomeres and telomerase, focusing on highlighting the distinctive features within this parasite. Furthermore, the potential feasibility of targeting Giardia telomeres and/or telomerase as an innovative therapeutic strategy is discussed.
Topics: Humans; Telomerase; Giardiasis; Giardia; Telomere; Giardia lamblia
PubMed: 38584235
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08200-6 -
Traffic (Copenhagen, Denmark) Oct 2017The endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi-target organelle route is one of the most studied events and has fascinated researchers for years. However, the conservative mechanism of... (Review)
Review
The endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi-target organelle route is one of the most studied events and has fascinated researchers for years. However, the conservative mechanism of protein sorting and delivery is now being challenged by the finding of unconventional pathways driving protein sorting and transport. Protozoa parasites are being rediscovered as good models for analyzing alternative targeting pathways, associated with their ability to adapt to diverse environments and hosts. Here, we have gathered all the available information about secretory protein trafficking in Giardia lamblia, with a focus on how this protozoan parasite is able to sort and direct proteins to different compartments in the absence of a Golgi complex.
Topics: Endoplasmic Reticulum; Giardia lamblia; Golgi Apparatus; Protozoan Proteins; Receptors, Peptide; Secretory Pathway; Secretory Vesicles
PubMed: 28696551
DOI: 10.1111/tra.12500 -
Current Protocols in Microbiology Jun 2020Giardia lamblia is a protozoan parasite that is found ubiquitously throughout the world and is a major contributor to diarrheal disease. Giardia exhibits a biphasic...
Giardia lamblia is a protozoan parasite that is found ubiquitously throughout the world and is a major contributor to diarrheal disease. Giardia exhibits a biphasic lifestyle existing as either a dormant cyst or a vegetative trophozoite. Infections are typically initiated through the consumption of cyst-contaminated water or food. Giardia was first axenized in the 1970s and can be readily maintained in a laboratory setting. Additionally, Giardia is one of the few protozoans that can be induced to complete its complete lifecycle using laboratory methods. In this article, we outline protocols to maintain Giardia and induce passage through its lifecycle. We also provide protocols for infecting and quantifying parasites in an animal infection model. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: In vitro maintenance and growth of Giardia trophozoites Basic Protocol 2: In vitro encystation of Giardia cysts Basic Protocol 3: In vivo infections using Giardia trophozoites.
Topics: Animals; Cell Culture Techniques; Disease Models, Animal; Giardia lamblia; Giardiasis; Humans; Life Cycle Stages; Mice; Parasitology; Preservation, Biological; Protozoan Proteins; Trophozoites
PubMed: 32515871
DOI: 10.1002/cpmc.102 -
Clinics in Laboratory Medicine Jun 2015The coccidians Cryptosporidium spp, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Cystoisospora belli and the flagellate Giardia duodenalis are pathogenic protozoa associated with... (Review)
Review
The coccidians Cryptosporidium spp, Cyclospora cayetanensis, and Cystoisospora belli and the flagellate Giardia duodenalis are pathogenic protozoa associated with gastrointestinal manifestations. Diagnosis relies heavily on microscopy, and although ova-and-parasite examinations can detect Giardia and Cystoisospora, Cryptosporidium and Cyclospora often require specific diagnostic requests. Approved non-microscopy methods are available for Giardia and Cryptosporidium, although negative results are frequently followed by microscopic assays. Polymerase chain reaction-based methods are not frequently used for diagnosis of Giardia and Cryptosporidium and have been used primarily for epidemiologic or outbreak investigations of Giardia and Cryptosporidium.
Topics: Antigens, Protozoan; Coccidia; Coccidiosis; Diagnosis, Differential; Giardia lamblia; Giardiasis; Humans; Immunoassay; Sensitivity and Specificity; Specimen Handling
PubMed: 26004650
DOI: 10.1016/j.cll.2015.02.010 -
BMC Genomics Mar 2020The nucleoli, including their proteomes, of higher eukaryotes have been extensively studied, while few studies about the nucleoli of the lower eukaryotes - protists were...
BACKGROUND
The nucleoli, including their proteomes, of higher eukaryotes have been extensively studied, while few studies about the nucleoli of the lower eukaryotes - protists were reported. Giardia lamblia, a protist with the controversy of whether it is an extreme primitive eukaryote or just a highly evolved parasite, might be an interesting object for carrying out the nucleolar proteome study of protists and for further examining the controversy.
RESULTS
Using bioinformatics methods, we reconstructed G. lamblia nucleolar proteome (GiNuP) and the common nucleolar proteome of the three representative higher eukaryotes (human, Arabidopsis, yeast) (HEBNuP). Comparisons of the two proteomes revealed that: 1) GiNuP is much smaller than HEBNuP, but 78.4% of its proteins have orthologs in the latter; 2) More than 68% of the GiNuP proteins are involved in the "Ribosome related" function, and the others participate in the other functions, and these two groups of proteins are much larger and much smaller than those in HEBNuP, respectively; 3) Both GiNuP and HEBNuP have their own specific proteins, but HEBNuP has a much higher proportion of such proteins to participate in more categories of nucleolar functions.
CONCLUSION
For the first time the nucleolar proteome of a protist - Giardia was reconstructed. The results of comparison of it with the common proteome of three representative higher eukaryotes -- HEBNuP indicated that the simplicity of GiNuP is most probably a reflection of primitiveness but not just parasitic reduction of Giardia, and simultaneously revealed some interesting evolutionary phenomena about the nucleolus and even the eukaryotic cell, compositionally and functionally.
Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Evolution, Molecular; Giardia lamblia; Humans; Proteome
PubMed: 32228450
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-020-6679-9 -
Parasitology Apr 2021Giardia intestinalis is a parasitic protozoan that inhabits its vertebrate hosts' upper small intestine and is the most common cause of waterborne diarrhoea worldwide....
Giardia intestinalis is a parasitic protozoan that inhabits its vertebrate hosts' upper small intestine and is the most common cause of waterborne diarrhoea worldwide. Giardia trophozoites present few organelles, and among them, they possess peripheral vesicles (PVs), which are considered an endosomal-lysosomal system. All experimental procedures carried out until now indicate that Giardia ingests macromolecules by fluid-phase and receptor-mediated endocytic pathways. Still, there is no description concerning the interaction and ingestion of large materials. Here, we tested Giardia's capacity to interact with large particles; once, in vivo, it inhabits an environment with a microbiota. We tested protozoan interaction with yeasts, bacteria, latex beads, ferritin and albumin, in different times of interaction and used several microscopy techniques (light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy) to follow their fate. Giardia interacted with all of the materials we tested. Projections of the plasma membrane similar to pseudopods were seen. As albumin, small markers were found in the PVs while the larger materials were not seen there. Large vacuoles containing large latex beads were detected intracellularly. Thus, we observed that: (1) Giardia interacts with large materials; (2) Giardia can display an amoeboid shape and exhibit membrane projections when in contact with microorganisms and large inorganic materials; (3) the region of the exit of the ventral flagella is very active when in contact with large materials, although all cell surface also present activity in the interactions; (4) intracellular vacuoles, which are not the PVs, present ingested large beads.
Topics: Albumins; Endocytosis; Endoplasmic Reticulum; Escherichia coli; Ferritins; Giardia lamblia; Histocytochemistry; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Microspheres; Polystyrenes; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Transport Vesicles
PubMed: 33280628
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182020002292 -
Microbiological Research Sep 2021Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated protozoan that is responsible for many cases of diarrheal disease worldwide and is characterized by its great divergence from the... (Review)
Review
Giardia duodenalis is a flagellated protozoan that is responsible for many cases of diarrheal disease worldwide and is characterized by its great divergence from the model organisms commonly used in studies of basic cellular processes. The life cycle of Giardia involves an infectious cyst form and a proliferative and mobile trophozoite form. Each Giardia trophozoite has two nuclei and a complex microtubule cytoskeleton that consists of eight flagellar axonemes, basal bodies, the adhesive disc, the funis and the median body. Since the success of Giardia infecting other organisms depends on its ability to divide and proliferate efficiently, Giardia must coordinate its cell division to ensure the duplication and partitioning of both nuclei and the multiple cytoskeletal structures. The purpose of this review is to summarize current knowledge about cell division and its regulation in this protist.
Topics: Cell Division; Cytoskeleton; Giardia lamblia; Microtubules; Mitosis; Protozoan Proteins; Trophozoites
PubMed: 34130067
DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2021.126807 -
Parasites & Vectors Mar 2021Polo-like kinases (PLKs) are conserved serine/threonine kinases that regulate the cell cycle. To date, the role of Giardia lamblia PLK (GlPLK) in cells has not been...
BACKGROUND
Polo-like kinases (PLKs) are conserved serine/threonine kinases that regulate the cell cycle. To date, the role of Giardia lamblia PLK (GlPLK) in cells has not been studied. Here, we report our investigation on the function of GlPLK to provide insight into the role of this PKL in Giardia cell division, especially during cytokinesis and flagella formation.
METHODS
To assess the function of GIPLK, Giardia trophozoites were treated with the PLK-specific inhibitor GW843286X (GW). Using a putative open reading frame for the PLK identified in the Giardia genomic database, we generated a transgenic Giardia expressing hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged GlPLK and used this transgenic for immunofluorescence assays (IFAs). GlPLK expression was knocked down using an anti-glplk morpholino to observe its effect on the number of nuclei number and length of flagella. Giardia cells ectopically expressing truncated GlPLKs, kinase domain + linker (GlPLK-KDL) or polo-box domains (GlPLK-PBD) were constructed for IFAs. Mutant GlPLKs at Lys51, Thr179 and Thr183 were generated by site-directed mutagenesis and then used for the kinase assay. To elucidate the role of phosphorylated GlPLK, the phosphorylation residues were mutated and expressed in Giardia trophozoites RESULTS: After incubating trophozoites with 5 μM GW, the percentage of cells with > 4 nuclei and longer caudal and anterior flagella increased. IFAs indicated that GlPLK was localized to basal bodies and flagella and was present at mitotic spindles in dividing cells. Morpholino-mediated GlPLK knockdown resulted in the same phenotypes as those observed in GW-treated cells. In contrast to Giardia expressing GlPLK-PBD, Giardia expressing GlPLK-KDL was defective in terms of GIPLK localization to mitotic spindles and had altered localization of the basal bodies in dividing cells. Kinase assays using mutant recombinant GlPLKs indicated that mutation at Lys51 or at both Thr179 and Thr183 resulted in loss of kinase activity. Giardia expressing these mutant GlPLKs also demonstrated defects in cell growth, cytokinesis and flagella formation.
CONCLUSIONS
These data indicate that GlPLK plays a role in Giardia cell division, especially during cytokinesis, and that it is also involved in flagella formation.
Topics: Cell Cycle Proteins; Cytokinesis; Flagella; Giardia lamblia; Phosphorylation; Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; Proto-Oncogene Proteins; Protozoan Proteins; Trophozoites; Polo-Like Kinase 1
PubMed: 33789729
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-04687-5