Journal article
Oocyst wall formation and composition in coccidian parasites
Kelly Mai, Philippa A Sharman, Robert A Walker, Marilyn Katrib, David De Souza, Malcolm J McConville, Michael G Wallach, Sabina I Belli, David JP Ferguson, Nicholas C Smith
MEMORIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ | FUNDACO OSWALDO CRUZ | Published : 2009
Abstract
The oocyst wall of coccidian parasites is a robust structure that is resistant to a variety of environmental and chemical insults. This resilience allows oocysts to survive for long periods, facilitating transmission from host to host. The wall is bilayered and is formed by the sequential release of the contents of two specialized organelles - wall forming body 1 and wall forming body 2 - found in the macrogametocyte stage of Coccidia. The oocyst wall is over 90% protein but few of these proteins have been studied. One group is cysteine-rich and may be presumed to crosslink via disulphide bridges, though this is yet to be investigated. Another group of wall proteins is rich in tyrosine. Thes..
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