The somatic genetic defect in paroxysmal nocturnal haemoglobinuria (PNH) involves a block in the transfer of GlcNAc from UDP-GlcNAc to phosphatidylinositol (PI), the first step in the biosynthetic pathway for glycosylphosphatidylinositols (GPIs). We asked whether an exogenous lipid corresponding to an early intermediate in this pathway can be taken up by cells in culture and proceed through the...

The organization of proteins and lipids in the plasma membrane has been the subject of a long-lasting debate. Membrane rafts of higher lipid chain order were proposed to mediate protein interactions, but have thus far not been directly observed. Here we use protein micropatterning combined with single-molecule tracking to put current models to the test: we rearranged lipid-anchored raft protein...

The African trypanosome Trypanosoma brucei, which causes sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana disease in livestock, is spread via blood-sucking Tsetse flies. In the fly's intestine, the trypanosomes survive digestive and trypanocidal environments, proliferate, and translocate into the salivary gland, where they become infectious to the next mammalian host. Here, we show that for successful su...

Abstract Background A number of clinical trials documented benefits glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors (GPIs) in the setting acute coronary syndromes (ACS). The advantage reducing thrombotic burden at cost a higher risk bleeding has been evaluated different studies. However, data regarding use GPIs as peri-interventional treatment is lacking. Indeed, current European guidelines may only be consid...

Plasmodium falciparum malaria kills roughly 2.5 million people, mainly children, annually. Much of this mortality is thought to arise from the actions of a malarial toxin. This toxin, identified as glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI), is a major pathogenicity determinant in malaria. A malarial molecule, Pfj, labeled by [3H]glucosamine like the GPIs, was identified as a non-GPI molecule. Here we ...

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins have been identified in all eukaryotes. In fungi, structural and biosynthetic studies of GPIs have been restricted to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this article, four GPI-anchored proteins were purified from a membrane preparation of the human filamentous fungal pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus. Using new methodology applied to western...