Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Quick and efficient purification of Giardia intestinalis cysts from fecal samples

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Parasitology Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Giardia intestinalis is an intestinal parasite that has sparked considerable interest because of the public health problem it creates and because it is regarded as one of the earliest divergent eukaryotes. The present report describes a new method for quick, clean, and effective isolation of G. intestinalis cysts from fecal samples. The isolated cysts have the quality required for biochemical studies of the excystation process.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Adam RD (2001) Biology of Giardia lamblia. Clin Microbiol Rev 14:447–475

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bingham AK, Meyer EA (1979) Giardia excystation can be induced in vitro in acidic solutions. Nature 277:301–302

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Boucher SE, Gillin FD (1990) Excystation of in vitro derived Giardia lamblia cyst. Infect Immun 58:3516–3522

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hautus MA, Kortbeek LM, Vetter JCM, Alarman JJ (1988) In vitro excystation and subsequent axenic growth of Giardia lamblia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 82:858–861

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227:680–687

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Polverino D, Molina NB, Minvielle MC, Lozano ME, Basualdo JA (2004) Purification and breaking techniques of cysts of Giardia spp. Rev Argent Microbiol 36:97–100

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sauch JF (1984) Purification of Giardia muris cysts by velocity sedimentation. Appl Environ Microbiol 48:454–455

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sogin ML, Gunderson JH, Elwood HJ, Alonso RA, Peattie DA (1989) Phylogenetic meaning of the kingdom concept: an unusual ribosomal RNA from Giardia lamblia. Science 243:75–77

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Svard SG, Hagblom P, Palm JED (2003) Giardia lamblia a model organism for eukaryotic cell differentiation. FEMS Microbiol Lett 218:3–7

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson RCA (2000) Giardiasis as a re-emerging infectious disease and its zoonotic potential. Int J Parasitol 30:1259–1267

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ward W, Alvarado L, Rawlings ND, Engel JC, Franklin C, McKerrow JH (1997) A primitive enzyme for a primitive cell: the protease required for excystation of Giardia. Cell 89:437–444

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Instituto Colombiano para el Desarrollo de la Ciencia y la Tecnología “Francisco José de Caldas” Colciencias, project 1101-05-14649 and the National University of Colombia. We are grateful to Alexandra Ospina and Patricia Espitia from the Entidades Promotoras de Salud Compensar for supplying the clinical samples. The experiments described in this paper comply with the current laws of Colombia.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Básicas en Bioquímica LIBBIQ, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia

    M. E. Alvarado & M. Wasserman

  2. Laboratorio de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Bogotá, Colombia

    M. Wasserman

Authors
  1. M. E. Alvarado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Wasserman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. E. Alvarado.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alvarado, M.E., Wasserman, M. Quick and efficient purification of Giardia intestinalis cysts from fecal samples. Parasitol Res 99, 300–302 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0143-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0143-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation