Glycosaminoglycans, highly anionic long chains of repeating disaccharides,
are present in the extracellular matrix of almost all
vertebrate tissues. In addition to their structural role in adult
tissues, these molecules have been implicated as mediators of
important developmental processes such as cell migration, cell-cell
recognition and adhesion, and cytodifferentiation. The...
The host snail Biomphalaria glabrata and the parasitic trematode
Schistosoma mansoni are valuable subjects for studies evaluating and
defining immunological parameters that determine the outcome of
individual host-parasite encounters. In this thesis, both soluble and
cellular components of the snail's hemolymph were examined to gain
insight into the basis for...