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Involvement of tyrosine phosphorylation during Leishmania donovani differentiation

Dimorphic Leishmania donovani parasites exist as promastigotes in the sandfly vector and differentiate into amastigotes once injected into the skin of human hosts during a blood meal. The mechanisms and signals that are involved in triggering differentiation are not well understood in Leishmania. We have investigated whether tyrosine phosphorylation is a possible signalling component. Differential levels of tyrosine-phosphorylated proteins were observed in extracts from in vitro promastigote and amastigote cultures, with an overall reduction in the latter stage. Following this observation, the inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation was examined in promastigotes using Tyrphostin AG1433, a broad-spectrum tyrosine phosphorylation inhibitor. AG1433 treated in vitro promastigote cultures differentiate into amastigote-like morphology, have reduced tyrosine phosphorylation level, and express the amastigote-specific marker A2 proteins. Our studies demonstrate that signal transduction mechanisms involving tyrosine phosphorylation/dephosphorylation events are involved in controlling L. donovani promastigote differentiation into amastigote forms.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.32742
Date January 2001
CreatorsAbourjeily, Nay.
ContributorsMatlashewski, Greg (advisor)
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageMaster of Science (Institute of Parasitology.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001873912, proquestno: MQ78814, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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