Giardia lamblia is a medically important protozoan parasite with a basal position in the eukaryotic lineage and is an interesting model to explain the evolution of biochemical events in eukaryotic cells. G. lamblia trophozoites undergo significant changes in order to survive outside the intestine of their host by differentiating into infective cysts. In the present study, we characterize the previously identified Orf-C4 (G. lamblia open reading frame C4) gene, which is considered to be specific to G. lamblia. It encodes a 22 kDa protein that assembles into high-molecular-mass complexes during the entire life cycle of the parasite. ORF-C4 localizes to the cytoplasm of trophozoites and cysts, and forms large spherical aggregates when overexpressed. ORF-C4 overexpression and down-regulation do not affect trophozoite viability; however, differentiation into cysts is slightly delayed when the expression of ORF-C4 is down-regulated. In addition, ORF-C4 protein expression is modified under specific stress-inducing conditions. Neither orthologous proteins nor conserved domains are found in databases by conventional sequence analysis of the predicted protein. However, ORF-C4 contains a region which is similar structurally to the α-crystallin domain of sHsps (small heat-shock proteins). In the present study, we show the potential role of ORF-C4 as a small chaperone which is involved in the response to stress (including encystation) in G. lamblia.
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Research Article|
December 10 2008
ORF-C4 from the early branching eukaryote Giardia lamblia displays characteristics of α-crystallin small heat-shock proteins
María J. Nores;
María J. Nores
1
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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César G. Prucca;
César G. Prucca
1
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Rodrigo Quiroga;
Rodrigo Quiroga
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Eliana V. Elías;
Eliana V. Elías
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Lucas Cavallín;
Lucas Cavallín
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Argenta M. Price;
Argenta M. Price
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Alicia Saura;
Alicia Saura
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Pedro G. Carranza;
Pedro G. Carranza
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Natalia Gottig;
Natalia Gottig
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
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Alberto J. Solari;
Alberto J. Solari
‡School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, CP1121, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Hugo D. Lujan
Hugo D. Lujan
2
*School of Medicine, Catholic University of Córdoba, Jacinto Rios 571, CP5004, Cordoba, Argentina
2To whom correspondence should be addressed (email hlujan@ucc.edu.ar).
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Publisher: Portland Press Ltd
Received:
July 25 2008
Accepted:
August 05 2008
Accepted Manuscript online:
August 05 2008
Online ISSN: 1573-4935
Print ISSN: 0144-8463
© The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Biochemical Society
2009
Biosci Rep (2009) 29 (1): 25–34.
Article history
Received:
July 25 2008
Accepted:
August 05 2008
Accepted Manuscript online:
August 05 2008
Citation
María J. Nores, César G. Prucca, Rodrigo Quiroga, Eliana V. Elías, Lucas Cavallín, Argenta M. Price, Alicia Saura, Pedro G. Carranza, Natalia Gottig, Alberto J. Solari, Hugo D. Lujan; ORF-C4 from the early branching eukaryote Giardia lamblia displays characteristics of α-crystallin small heat-shock proteins. Biosci Rep 1 February 2009; 29 (1): 25–34. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BSR20080101
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