Lipidomic analysis reveals that phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylethanolamine are newly generated phospholipids in an early-divergent protozoan, Giardia lamblia.

The pathogenic protozoan Giardia lamblia is known to not synthesize membrane lipids de novo. Therefore, it is possible that lipids in the small intestine, where trophozoites colonize, play key roles in regulating the growth and differentiation of this important pathogen. The focus of the current study is to conduct a complete lipidomic analysis and to test the hypothesis that Giardia has some ability to generate new phospholipids (PLs).