Protozoa adhesion

Among the fungal and protozoal lectins only a few have been studied in detail. One of these is the galactose-specific lectin of the protozoa Entamoeba histolytica. It mediates adhesion of the parasite to human colonic mucin glycoproteins and has a central role in the contact-dependent cytolysis or histolysis for which the parasite is named. A sialic-acid-speeific lectin has been isolated from merozoites of the human malarial parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. An unusual lectin is that of the protozoan Giardia lamblia, specific for mannose-6-phosphate, which is activated by trypsinization. 

It has been known for many years that microbial pathogens, i.e., viruses, mycoplasma, bacteria, and protozoa, take advantage of cell surface sialic acids to adhere to their respective host cells (Table V). In Chapter 9 the role of sialic acids in infection by myxoviruses will be discussed. Sialic acid-specific adhesion... 

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