Cell-Surface molecules as virulence determinants in entamoeba histolytica

Abstract

Virulence of the human parasite Entamoeba histolytica is related to adherence to, killing, and phagocytosis of host cells, and contact between trophozoites and host cells is necessary for amoebic effectors to act. Virulence also relies on parasite motility in extracellular matrices and human tissues and on the capacity of the parasite to escape the host defense response and to trigger infl ammation. Amoebic surface components implicated in all these processes have been identifi ed as important virulence factors. This chapter presents current knowledge on the major surface molecules of E. histolytica critically involved in parasite interactions with healthy or apoptotic cells (Gal/GalNAc lectin, LPG/LPPG proteophosphoglycans, KERP1, CPADH, STIRP, proform of CP-A5, ROM1), in recognition of apoptotic cells (calreticulin, M17, C2PK, SREHP, TMK96), host cell phagocytosis (CPADH, SREHP, TMK96, ROM1), attachment to extracellular matrices (β1FNR, β2 integrinlike), and immune evasion or triggering the infl ammatory response (Gal/GalNAc lectin, KERP1, proform of CP-A5, LPG/LPPG).