TY - JOUR
T1 - Pneumocystis carinii
T2 - Surface reactive carbohydrates detected by lectin probes
AU - Cushion, Melanie T.
AU - DeStefano, Jamie A.
AU - Walzer, Peter D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Medical Research Service of the Veterans Administration and by Public Health Service Contract l-AI-72646 from the National Institutes of Health. The authors thank Saundra K. Eversole for her secretarial assistance.
PY - 1988/12
Y1 - 1988/12
N2 - Pneumocystis carinii obtained from rat lungs (RLH) and in vitro culture (RTC) were reacted with a panel of 14 fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated lectins. Percentage fluorescence and fluorescent intensity were determined for both trophic and cyst forms. All RLH and RTC derived organisms bound strongly concanavalin A (Con A), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). However, differences in soybean agglutinin (SBA) binding between RLH and RTC organisms was observed. Different subsets of the organism bound lectins from Griffonia simplicifolia I, Maclura pomifera, and Bauhinia purpurea, indicating heterogeneity in the surface carbohydrates within each of the RLH and RTC populations. Eight lectins reacted very weakly or not at all: Dolichos bifiorus, Arachis hypogaea, Griffonia simplicifolia I-β4, Solanum tuberosum, Ulex europeus, Griffonia simplicifolia II, Viscum album, and Limax flavus. The results indicate that P. carinii trophic and cyst forms have surface constituents containing mannose, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine as the predominant carbohydrates. Molecules resembling sialic acid and β-galactose are absent or inaccessible. The surface glycoconjugates identified in these studies may play a role in the adherent properties of P. carinii.
AB - Pneumocystis carinii obtained from rat lungs (RLH) and in vitro culture (RTC) were reacted with a panel of 14 fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated lectins. Percentage fluorescence and fluorescent intensity were determined for both trophic and cyst forms. All RLH and RTC derived organisms bound strongly concanavalin A (Con A), and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). However, differences in soybean agglutinin (SBA) binding between RLH and RTC organisms was observed. Different subsets of the organism bound lectins from Griffonia simplicifolia I, Maclura pomifera, and Bauhinia purpurea, indicating heterogeneity in the surface carbohydrates within each of the RLH and RTC populations. Eight lectins reacted very weakly or not at all: Dolichos bifiorus, Arachis hypogaea, Griffonia simplicifolia I-β4, Solanum tuberosum, Ulex europeus, Griffonia simplicifolia II, Viscum album, and Limax flavus. The results indicate that P. carinii trophic and cyst forms have surface constituents containing mannose, N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine as the predominant carbohydrates. Molecules resembling sialic acid and β-galactose are absent or inaccessible. The surface glycoconjugates identified in these studies may play a role in the adherent properties of P. carinii.
KW - Carbohydrates
KW - Lectins
KW - Opportunistic pathogen
KW - Parasite
KW - Pneumocystis carinii
KW - Pneumonia
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U2 - 10.1016/0014-4894(88)90061-6
DO - 10.1016/0014-4894(88)90061-6
M3 - Article
C2 - 3142787
AN - SCOPUS:0024208371
SN - 0014-4894
VL - 67
SP - 137
EP - 147
JO - Experimental Parasitology
JF - Experimental Parasitology
IS - 2
ER -
