Open AccessTrichomonas vaginalis haemolysis: Evidence of functional pores formation on red cell membranes
Author(s) -
Fiori P.L.,
Rappelli P.,
Rocchigiani A.M.,
Cappuccinelli P.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1993.tb06136.x
Subject(s) - haemolysis , trichomonas vaginalis , cytolysis , membrane , hemolysis , trichomonas , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , biophysics , chemistry , immunology , in vitro , cytotoxic t cell
We have investigated the mechanisms used by Trichomonas vaginalis to damage cellular membranes, using human erythrocytes as target cells. Haemolysis is a contact‐ and temperature‐dependent phenomenon, and is inhibited in 4 mM EGTA. Osmotic protection experiments using carbohydrates with different molecular diameters as protectants demonstrated that the cytolytic activity of T. vaginalis is inhibited in 75 mM stachyose. On the basis of our data, we hypothesize a cytopathic mechanism mediated by the formation of functional pores into the target membrane. Some of the Trichomonas protein involved in haemolysis have been immunologically characterized.