GROWTH-INHIBITION OF THE INTESTINAL PARASITE GIARDIA-LAMBLIA BY A DIETARY LECTIN IS ASSOCIATED WITH ARREST OF THE CELL-CYCLE

Giardia lamblia, a cause of diarrheal disease throughout the world, is a protozoan parasite that thrives in the small intestine. It is shown here that wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), a naturally occurring lectin w idely consumed in normal human diets, reversibly inhibits the growth o f G. lamblia trophozoites in vitro, and reduces infection by G. muris in the adult mouse model of giardiasis. The inhibitory effect was dose related, not associated with cytotoxicity and reversed by N-acetyl-D- glucosamine in accordance with the known specificity of the lectin and in agreement with the presence of GlcNAc residues on the surface memb rane of G. lamblia trophozoites. Cell cycle analysis revealed that par asites grown in the presence of WGA are arrested in the G2/M phase, pr oviding an explanation for the lectin-induced inhibition of cell proli feration. Comparison of electrophoretic profiles by lectin blot analys is revealed both glycoprotein induction and suppression in growth-arre sted organisms. Our findings raise the possibility that blocking troph ozoite growth with naturally occurring dietary lectins may influence t he course of giardiasis. In addition, the study of cell cycle arrest b y WGA may provide a model to study the regulation of cell division in lower eukaryotes.