Absence of lipophosphoglycan-like glycoconjugates in <i>Entamoeba dispar</i>

Abstract

Invasive amoebiasis is the result of infection of Entamoeba histolytica . The closely related Entamoeba dispar can colonize the human gut but does not cause invasive disease. In this study, E. dispar was analysed for the presence of the lipophosphoglycan-like (LPG) glycoconjugate known to be present on the cell surface of E. histolytica . E. dispar cells were radio-isotope labelled with [ 3 H]galactose or [ 3 H]inositol. The acidic glycoconjugates were extracted and analysed by hydrophobic chromatography over phenyl–Sepharose and by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No LPG-like molecules could be identified in E. dispar in contrast to E. histolytica , suggesting that these molecules may be absent in the non-pathogenic species.