Identification of new targets for the diagnosis of cysts (four) and trophozoites (one) of the eye pathogen .

Unlabelled: , which are free-living amoebae, cause corneal inflammation (keratitis) and blindness, if not diagnosed and effectively treated. While trophozoites adhere to and damage the cornea, cysts, the walls of which contain cellulose and have two layers connected by conical ostioles, are the diagnostic form by microscopy of the eye or of corneal scrapings. We recently used structural and experimental methods to characterize cellulose-binding domains of Luke and Leo lectins, which are abundant in the inner layer and ostioles.

Cellulose binding and the timing of expression influence protein targeting to the double-layered cyst wall of .

The cyst wall of the eye pathogen contains cellulose and has ectocyst and endocyst layers connected by conical ostioles. Cyst walls contain families of lectins that localize to the ectocyst layer (Jonah) or the endocyst layer and ostioles (Luke and Leo). How lectins and an abundant laccase bind cellulose and why proteins go to locations in the wall are not known and are the focus of the studies here.