Giardia: A Model Organism

Front Cover
Hugo D. Lujan, Staffan Svärd
Springer Science & Business Media, Jun 30, 2011 - Medical - 420 pages
Giardia is a relatively simple eukaryotic microbe, causing acute and chronic diarrhea which has been used as a model to understand complex biological processes occurring in eukaryotic cells. Further, due to its parasitic lifestyle, Giardia is an excellent system for the study of the mechanisms of adaptation and cell differentiation from the perspectives of molecular and cell biology. This book presents a comprehensive review of the current state of knowledge regarding all aspects of Giardia’s biology, including epidemiology, cell and molecular biology, genetics, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and clinical treatment. It was written by internationally renowned authors, the leading researchers in the field including several chapters with techniques and resources available for the study of this microorganism. Questions that need to be addressed to fully understand the molecular mechanisms of the parasite as well as the cause of its pathology are presented. Furthermore, Giardia’s biology is compared with that of other parasites in relation to their complexity. This volume is an indispensable resource for researchers working with this parasite. It is a “must” for libraries and the bookshelves of everyone interested in the biology of parasites and early-branching eukaryotes.
 

Contents

1 Taxonomy of Giardia Species
3
2 Epidemiology of Giardiasis in Humans
17
3 Waterborne and EnvironmentallyBorne Giardiasis
29
4 Giardia in Pets and Farm Animals and Their Zoonotic Potential
70
Section II Molecular Biology of Giardia
93
5 Genomics of Giardia
95
6 The Glycoproteins of Giardia
102
7 Mass Spectrometric Analysis of Phospholipids and Fatty Acids in Giardia lamblia
111
15 Posttranscriptional Gene Silencing and Translation in Giardia
232
16 Antigenic Variation in Giardia
245
Section IV Pathology Treatment and Diagnostics of Giardia and the Host Immune Response
258
17 Interaction of Giardia with Host Cells
259
18 Primary Microtubule Structures in Giardia
275
19 Pathophysiological Processes and Clinical Manifestations of Giardiasis
301
20 Immunology of Giardiasis
319
21 Vaccination Against Giardia
332

8 Giardia Metabolism
127
Section III Cellular Biology of Giardia
138
9 The Ultrastructure of Giardia During Growth and Differentiation
141
10 Cell Cycle Regulation and Cell Divisionin Giardia
161
11 The Giardia Mitosomes
184
12 Signaling Pathways in Giardia lamblia
201
13 Transcription and Recombination in Giardia
211
14 Intracellular Protein Trafficking
219
22 Diagnosis of Human Giardiasis
353
Section V Methods for Giardia Research
378
23 Methods for Giardia CultureCryopreservation Encystationand Excystation In Vitro
381
24 Synchronization of Giardia
395
25 Methods for Giardia Transfection and Gene Expression
401
26 Biological Resource Centers for Giardia Research
412
List of Contributors
417
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About the author (2011)

Dr. Luján received his Ph.D. in biochemistry from the School of Chemistry, National University of Córdoba, Argentina, in 1991. Until 1996 he performed postdoctoral work in the United States at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health. He is a full professor of biochemistry and cell biology in the School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Argentina. He also is an independent investigator at the National Council for Science and Technology of Argentina. Dr. Svärd received his PhD in Microbiology at Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden in 1995. He performed postdoctoral work in United States at UCSD, San Diego followed by six years at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. Currently he is a professor of Eukaryotic Microbiology at Uppsala University.

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