書誌事項

Biochemical adaptation in parasites

by Christopher Bryant and Carolyn A. Behm (with a chapter by Michael J. Howell)

Chapman and Hall, 1989

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注記

Bibliography: p. [219]-245

Includes index

内容説明・目次

内容説明

In recent years, parasitologists have learned much about the way in which parasite biochemistry differs from that of free-living organisms. Inside the host, factors such as temperature, oxygen tension, carbon dioxide concentration and pH have important consequences for the biochemistry and physiology of the parasitic organism. Strong selection pressure therefore operates at all stages of a parasite's life cycle. The parasite's adaptational response to this pressure is the subject of this book. Under the headings "The nature of parasite adaptation", "Energy metabolism", "Digestion and uptake of nutrients", "Host immunity and parasite adaptation", "Biochemical adaptation and the magic bullet" and "Biochemical variation in parasites", present knowledge of parasite metabolism and how it reflects adaptation to particular environments is surveyed. The ways in which these adaptations may have developed during their evolution - with reference to the modern evolution of strain variations and the development of resistance to antiparasitic compounds - are explored, together with immunological aspects of the host-parasite relationship and potential metabolic targets for chemotherapy. This book should be of use to all those involved and interested in the biochemistry of parasites and its relation to their evolution, ecology, adaptation and variation. Those aspects of parasite metabolism that are attacked by anti-parasitic drugs are described, making this a useful book for those involved in the pharmaceutical industry. This book should be of interest to parasitologists and comparative biochemists.

目次

  • Part 1 The nature of parasite adaptation: what is a parasite?
  • the host-parasite relationship
  • the evolution of the host-parasite relationship
  • the role of the parasites in evolution
  • the frequency of parasitism
  • ecological aspects of parasitism
  • what is a strain?
  • are strain varieties adaptive?
  • biochemical adaptations and life cycles
  • the physicochemical characteristics of parasite environments
  • ectoparasitism and the invasion of the host
  • inside the host. Part 2 Energy metabolism: energy metabolism in protozoa and in helminths
  • adaptation and energy metabolism. Part 3 Digestion and uptake of nutrients: absorption from the medium
  • folic acid metabolism
  • lipids and lipid metabolism
  • purines, pyrimidines and their salvage. Part 4 Host immunity and parasite adaptation: evolution of multicellularity
  • evolution of immune systems
  • evolutionary outcomes of host/parasite immunological interaction
  • population characteristics of parasite infections
  • immunological interaction between hosts and parasites. Part 5 Biochemical adaptation and the "magic bullet": chemotherapy
  • drug targets in parasites
  • conclusions: adaptation to parasitism? Part 6 Biochemical variation in parasites: the "founder" principle
  • parsimony, conservatism and optimization
  • experimental detection of variation
  • resistance to antiparasitic compounds.

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