The Biochemistry Of Parasites

The study of parasitic organisms at the molecular level has yielded fascinating new insights of great medical, social, and economical importance, and has pointed the way for the treatment and prevention of the diseases they cause. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Parasites presents an up-to-date account of this modern scientific discipline in a manner that allows and encourages the reader to place the biochemistry and molecular biology of these organisms in their biological context. The chapters are cross-referenced and grouped in an arrangement that provides a fully integrated whole, and permits the reader to create a composite of the biochemical function of these organisms. Individual chapter includes those devoted to metabolism, in both aerobic and anaerobic protozoa; antioxidant mechanisms; parasite surfaces; organelles; invasion mechanisms; and chemotherapy. The helminths are discussed not only from the point of view of their cellular biochemistry and metabolism, but also with respect to both their integrated functions such as neurochemistry, structure and functions of surfaces, and reproduction. Written by expert investigators, this book will be of interest to all experienced researchers, graduate students, and to the newcomer eager to become familiar with the biochemistry and molecular biology of parasites.

Biochemistry of Parasites, Second Edition presents the biochemical aspects of parasitology. The topics covered in the book include inorganic substances; carbohydrate relationships of parasites; parasitic metabolism of carbohydrates and transport mechanisms; distribution of lipids in the bodies of parasites; and disturbances in the host's protein metabolism during parasitic infections. Parasitologists and biochemists will find the book interesting.

Comparative Biochemistry of Parasites contains the proceedings of an international symposium organized by the Janssen Research Foundation and held at Janssen Pharmaceutica in Belgium on September 1-3, 1971. The symposium reviewed progress in the understanding of the physiology and biochemistry of parasites such as protozoa and helminths. Organized into 34 chapters, this volume begins with an overview of early research on parasite biochemistry before turning to a discussion of antischistosomal drugs and their biochemical effects on parasites. The reader is then introduced to the biochemistry of carbohydrates in nematodes and cestodes; neurotransmitters in trematodes; pharmacological aspects and biochemical effects of tetramisole; the mechanism of action of berenil (Diminazene) and related compounds; and dihydrofolate reductases in parasitic protozoa and helminths. Other chapters focus on the loss of fatty acid biosynthesis in flatworms, the cytochrome system in Kinetoplastidae, oxidative phosphorylation in Moniezia mitochondria, and the role of non-heme iron in cestode respiration. Scientists, particularly physiologists and biochemists, will find this book an invaluable source of information on parasite physiology and biochemistry.

THIS BOOK HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FROM A SHORT LECTURE COURSE GIVEN to advanced undergraduate students as part of a general introduction to the subject of parasitology for zoologists. The book is written for the undergraduate who has no previous experience of parasitology and little background in either biochemistry or physiology. It is not a long book, and students will have to consult some of the more detailed textbooks in parasitology and physiology to gain a full understanding of the topics considered here. My objective in writing this book is to introduce the breadth of parasite physiology, leaving the reader to obtain a depth of knowledge by his own library research. Each chapter covers a single topic or related topics in physiological parasitology, and the variable length of the chapters reflects the amount of research interest that has been generated over the last few decades. It is to be hoped that by use of this book students will develop an interest in some of the more neglected areas and be stimulated to make good some of the more glaring deficiencies in our current knowledge. I should like to acknowledge with gratitude the assistance of my colleagues Dr 1. Barrett, Dr R. A. Klein, Dr A. W. Pike and Dr R. A.

The Biochemistry of Parasites documents the proceedings of the Satellite Conference of the 13th Meeting of the Federation of European Biochemical Societies (FEBS) held in Jerusalem, August 1980. The conference presented the opportunity to summarize work done by parasite biochemists and introduce this field to workers in classical biochemistry. The 45 papers in this volume are divided into two sections covering parasite biomembranes and parasite metabolism. The papers in the biomembranes section are further divided in two parts: the parasite membrane (Part I) and adherence of the parasite to host tissues (Part II). Part I is concerned with both classical and novel aspects of membrane structure and function. It includes studies on the membrane of the leishmania; the surface coat of trypanosomes; membrane function; and transport across the cell membrane. Part II covers topics such as the adherence of pathenogenic microorganisms and the importance of of carbohydrates in parasite-host adherence. The papers in the parasite metabolism section focus primarily on three groups of parasites: leishmania, malaria, and helminthes. Topics covered include the isolation and characterization of a proteolytic enzyme from Plasmodium lophurae (duck malaria); the selection and culture of malaria parasites resistant to aminopterin; and regulation of cyclic AMP metabolism in Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes.

A valuable, new source, Molecular Medical Parasitology is the only text of its kind -- one that applies broad concepts and current scientific advances from both molecular biology and biochemistry to the study of parasitic organisms. An internationally renowned team of scientists and physicians places parasites in their broad biological contexts while still emphasizing the specifics that differentiate these organisms. Not only will researchers and faculty in parasitology find this an indispensable guide, physicians will benefit from the thorough coverage molecular biology and biochemistry's current influences on treatment and management of parasitic diseases. Features the most up-to-date scientific methods behind the medical management of parasitic diseases Applies the most current synthesis of molecular biology and biochemistry to parasitic organisms Contains many informative figures and clear illustrations

Biochemistry and Physiology of Protozoa, Volume I focuses on the chemical and physiological features of Protozoa, including nutrition, metabolism, and growth of phytoflagellates, Trypanosomidae and Bodonidae, biochemistry of ciliates and Plasmodium, and the influence of antimalarials. The selection first offers information on the biochemistry of Protozoa and phytoflagellates, including sexuality in Chlamydomonas, growth factors and chemical asepsis, descriptive chemistry and phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary aspects of photosynthesis, nutrition and biochemistry of Protozoa, and the biochemical evolution of Protozoa. The text then ponders on the nutrition of parasitic flagellates and metabolism of Trypanosomidae and Bodonidae. The publication takes a look at the nutrition of parasitic amebae, biochemistry of Plasmodium and the influence of antimalarials, and the biochemistry of ciliates in pure culture. Topics include carbon metabolism and respiration, nitrogen metabolism, antimalarial compounds and their influence on the metabolism of malarial parasites, metabolism of malarial parasites, and nutrition of the dysentery ameba, Entamoeba histolytica. The selection is a valuable reference for cytologists, geneticists, and pathologists interested in the biochemistry and physiology of protozoa.