By employing 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-NN',N"-triacetylchitotriose substrate in a semi quantitative assay, chitinolytic activity in viable spores of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and E. intestinalis was detected and dependence on reaction time, spore concentration, concentration of substrate and temperature were demonstrated. It was possible to block the chitinolytic activity by chitin hydrolysate. By incubation at 80°C for 10 min or at 55°C for 20 min the spores were loosing the chitinolytic activity. Incubation of the spores in trypsin reduced the chitinolytic activity. Cellulase activity could not be detected.

Microsporidia is a common term that has been used to refer to a group of eukaryotic, obligate intracellular protozoan parasites belonging to the phylum Microspora. They are important agricultural parasites, contaminating commercial insects; they are also important by infecting laboratory rodents, rabbits and primates. Ever since the early cases found by Magarino Torres, who reported the presence of Encephalitozoon in a patient suffering of a meningoencephalomyelitis, some human pathology caused by microsporidia has been described. However, only after the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome outbreak have these organisms appeared as significant etiological agents in different pathologies. Even so, they remain underestimated. In the present article, the importance of microsporidia for the human pathology in immunocompromised host has been stressed.

As formas de cultura de L. mexicana pifanoi (LRC L-90), L. mexicana mexicana (LRC L-94, M-379); L. braziliensis braziliensis (LRC L-77, L-1, M-2903, H-LSS) e L. mexicana amazonensis (H-JMMO, M-JOF, H-21, H-PLL, M-1696) foram testadas com as seguintes lectinas: Canavalia ensiformis, Ricinus communis-120, Axinella polypoides, Phaseolus vulgaris, Evonymus europaeus, Lotus tetragonolobus, Dolichos biflorus, Aaptos papilata II, Laburnum alpinum, Ulex europaeus, Arachis hypogaea and Soja hispida. Todas as cepas de leishmania aglutinadas por C. ensiformis, R. communis-120 e A. polypoides. Nenhuma reação de aglutinação foi observada com P. vulgaris, D. biflorus, A. papillata II, E. europaeus e L. tetragonolobus. Apenas L. m. pifanoi e as cepas H-JMMO e M-JOF de L. m. amazonensis mostravam reações de aglutinação com S. hispida, U. europaeus, l. alpinum e A. hypogaea enquanto as cepas LRC L-94 e M-379 de L. m. mexicana; H-LSS, LRC L-77, L-1 e M-2903 de L. b. braziliensis bem como as cepas H-PLL, H-21, M-1696 não mostraram nenhuma reação de aglutinação com estas quatro lectinas. Assim, as variações intra-específicas encontradas pelos testes de aglutinação por lectinas em cepas de leishmanias isoladas de casos de leishmaniose tegumentar não permitem estabelecer uma correlação entre formas clínicas e cepas isoladas. Por outro lado, estes testes mostram que a cepa de L. mexicana pifanoi apresenta reações idênticas às de duas cepas de L. mexicana amazonensis, não se podendo assim diferenciá-la por esta técnica. Pelo teste de aglutinação por lectina, empregado neste trabalho, podemos agrupar as cepas estudadas em dois grupos, mas não sabemos até o presente momento qual o significado destas variações intra-específicas em leishmanias isoladas de casos de leishmaniose cutânea do novo mundo.

The culture forms of L. mexicana pifanoi (LRC L-90), L. mexicana mexicana (LRC L-94, M-379); L. braziliensis braziliensis (LRC L-77, L-1, M-2903, H-LSS) and L. mexicana amazonensis (H-JMMO, M-JOF, H-21, H-PLL,M-1696) were tested with the following lectins: Canavalia ensiformis, Ricinus communis-120, Axinella polypoides, Phaseolus vulgaris, Evonymus europaeus, lotus tetragonolobus, Dolichos biflorus, Aaptos papillata II, Laburnum alpinum, Ulex europaeus, Arachis hypogaea and Soja hispida. All examined strains of Leishmania were agglutinated by C. ensiformis, R. communis-120 and A. popypoides. No agglutination reactions were observed with P. vulgaris, D.biflorus, A. papillata II, E. europaeus and L. tetragonolobus. Only L. m. pifanoi and the L. m. amazonensis strains H-JMMO and MJOF showed agglutination reactions with S. hispida, U. europaeus, L. alpinum and A. hypogaea, while L. m. mexicana (LRC L-94; M-379) strains, L. b. braziliensis H. LSS, LRC L-77; L-1; M-2903 and the L. m. amazonensis strains, H-PLL, H-21, M-1696 showed no agglutination reactions with these four lectins.

Die kulturformen von L. mexicana pifanoi (LRC L-90), L. mexicana mexicana (LRC L-94, M-369), L. braziliensis braziliensis (LRC L-77, L-1, M-2903, H-LSS) und L. mexicana amazonensis (H-JMMO, M-JOF, H-21, H-PLL, M-1696) wurden mit folgenden Lektinen untersucht: Canavalia ensiformis, Ricinus communis-120, Axinella polypoides, Phaseolus vulgaris, Evonymus europaeus, Lotus tetragonolobus, Dolichos biflorus, Aaptos papillata II, Laburnum alpinum, Ulex europaeus, Arachis hypogaea und Soja hispida. Alle untersuchten Leismain Stämme agglutinierten mit C. ensiformis, R. communis-120 und A. polypoides. Keine agglutinationen wurden beobachtet mit P. vulgaris, E. europaeus, L. tetragonolobus, D. biflorus und A. papillata II. Mit U. europaeus, L. alpinum, A. hipogaea und S. hispida agglutinierten nur L. mexicana pifanoi und die L. mexicana amazonensis Stämme H-JMMO und M-JOF. Keine agglutinationen mit diesen vier Lektinen zeigten L. mexicana amazonensis Stamm (H-PLL, H-21, M-1696), L. braziliensis braziliensis Stamm (LRC L-77, L-1, M-2903, H-LSS) und L. mexicana mexicana Stamm (LRC L-94, M-379 (L-11).