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Changes in the Shape of Leishmania major Promastigotes in Response to Hexoses, Proline, and Hypo‐osmotic Stress
Author(s) -
DARLING HOMAS N.,
BLUM JOSEPH
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
the journal of protozoology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.067
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1550-7408
pISSN - 0022-3921
DOI - 10.1111/j.1550-7408.1990.tb01145.x
Subject(s) - osmotic concentration , maltose , fructose , proline , sucrose , biochemistry , galactose , osmotic shock , biology , incubation , trehalose , mannose , osmotic pressure , substrate (aquarium) , amino acid , gene , ecology
Leishmania major promastigotes in late‐log phase are generally long and slender, and remain so during a 1 h incubation in buffer without exogenous substrate. When glucose, 2‐deoxyglucose, fructose, mannose, or proline are added, the cells become shorter and more rounded. The shape change in response to glucose is complete within 20 min and is reversible upon incubating the cells without substrate. Galactose, 3‐O‐methylglucose, 6‐deoxyglucose, sucrose, maltose, ribose, glycerol, alanine, glutamate or aspartate do not cause the shape change. Decreasing the osmolarity of the medium causes a rounding of the cells similar to that observed in the presence of glucose, and increasing the osmolarity inhibits the shape change in response to glucose. Inhibitors of glucose transport and 2nd messenger analogs do not affect the shape change.