TY - JOUR T1 - Balamuthia mandrillaris: role of galactose in encystment and identification of potential inhibitory targets JF - Exp Parasitol Y1 - 2010 A1 - Siddiqui,R. A1 - Jarroll,E. L. A1 - Khan,N. A. KW - Amides / pharmacology KW - Amoebozoa / drug effects / *physiology KW - Brain / blood supply / cytology KW - Calcium-Binding Proteins / *physiology KW - Cells, Cultured KW - Chromones / pharmacology KW - Cytochalasin D / pharmacology KW - Cytoskeleton / drug effects / physiology KW - Endothelial Cells / parasitology KW - Enzyme Inhibitors / *pharmacology KW - Galactose / metabolism / *pharmacology KW - Genistein / pharmacology KW - Humans KW - Monosaccharide Transport Proteins / *physiology KW - Morpholines / pharmacology KW - Periplasmic Binding Proteins / *physiology KW - Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors / metabolism KW - Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology KW - Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases / antagonists & inhibitors KW - Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors / metabolism KW - Pyridines / pharmacology KW - rho-Associated Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors KW - Signal Transduction / drug effects / physiology KW - Vanadates / pharmacology AB - Balamuthia mandrillaris is a causative agent of granulomatous encephalitis that almost always proves fatal. A major concern during the course of therapy is that B. mandrillaris can transform into cysts. Cysts are highly resistant to physical and chemical conditions and present a problem in successful antimicrobial chemotherapy. However, the underlying mechanisms of B. mandrillaris transformation into cysts are not known. In this study, we examined the effects of exogenous sugars on B. mandrillaris encystment. The findings revealed that free exogenous galactose, but not other sugars, enhanced parasite differentiation into cysts, and apparently a galactose-binding protein is involved in B. mandrillaris encystment. Cytoskeletal re-arrangements and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)-mediated pathways are involved in B. mandrillaris encystment based on inhibitor studies. Dual functionality of galactose-binding protein in B. mandrillaris pathogenesis and encystment is discussed further. VL - 126 CP - 1 N1 - Siddiqui, Ruqaiyyah Jarroll, Edward L Khan, Naveed Ahmed Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't United States Experimental parasitology Exp Parasitol. 2010 Sep;126(1):22-7. Epub 2009 Sep 18. ID - 1406 ER -