Lysosomal protein trafficking in Giardia lamblia: common and distinct features

TOUZ MC; RIVERO MR; MIRAS S; BONIFACINO JS

FRONTERAS EN BIOTECNOLOGIA Y BIOINGENERIA

FRONTIERS IN BIOSCIENCE

Año: 2012 vol. 1 p. 1898 - 1909

Giardia is a flagellated protozoan parasite that resides in the upper small intestine of several vertebrate hosts, including humans, and is one of the most frequent causes of defined waterborne diarrhea worldwide. Unlike more evolved cells, Giardia lacks of a defined endosomal/lysosomal system, instead it possesses peripheral vacuoles (PVs) with characteristics of endosome and lysosomes, located underneath the plasma membrane. These vacuoles play a central role controlling the endocytosis, degradation, recycling, and secretion of proteins during growth and differentiation of the parasite. This review will focus on recent reports that showed the role of different molecules involved in protein trafficking from the sorting place and plasma membrane toward the PVs. Because Giardia is an early branching protist, the study of vesicular transport in this parasite will lead to a clearer understanding of the minimal machinery required for protein transport in more evolved cells.