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Heterogeneity in the sensitivity of microtubules of Giardia lamblia to the herbicide oryzalin

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Abstract

Giardia lamblia is a protozoan that inhabits the small intestine of vertebrates, attaching to the epithelial cells by means of cytoskeletal elements. G. lamblia trophozoites possess several microtubular structures, namely the adhesive disc, the median body, the funis and the four pairs of flagella. Several drugs that target cytoskeletal proteins have been used in the study of cytoskeletal function and dynamics. In this work, we used oryzalin, which binds to α-tubulin, as a tool to study the Giardia cytoskeleton. The trophozoites were treated with oryzalin, and its effects were analysed by immunofluorescency, transmission and scanning electron microscopies. Oryzalin inhibited Giardia proliferation. Treated cells were not able to complete cell division and had flagella showing extensive shortening. Strikingly, the drug did not interfere with the adhesive disc, in contrast to what happens when other drugs are used.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Antonio Bosco Carlos and Luzinete Rocha for the technical support, Dr. Keith Gull for providing the α-tubulin TAT-1 antibody. This study was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível superior (CAPES) and Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CCS, bloco G, Ilha do Fundão, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro, 21949-900, Brazil

    Letícia L. Terra & Wanderley De Souza

  2. LPO-COPEA, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-590, Brazil

    Loraine Campanati

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  1. Letícia L. Terra
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  2. Loraine Campanati
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Correspondence to Wanderley De Souza.

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Terra, L.L., Campanati, L. & De Souza, W. Heterogeneity in the sensitivity of microtubules of Giardia lamblia to the herbicide oryzalin. Parasitol Res 107, 47–54 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1831-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-010-1831-0

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