A Comparative In Silico Study of the Antioxidant Defense Gene Repertoire of Distinct Lifestyle Trypanosomatid Species

Abstract

Kinetoplastids are an ancestral group of protists that contains free-living species and parasites with distinct mechanisms in response to stress. Here, we compared genes involved in antioxidant defense (AD), proposing an evolution model among trypanosomatids. All genes were identified in Bodo saltans, suggesting that AD mechanisms have evolved prior to adaptation for parasitic lifestyles. While most of the monoxenous and dixenous parasites revealed minor differences from B. saltans, the endosymbiont-bearing species have an increased number of genes. The absence of these genes was mainly observed in the extracellular parasites of the genera Phytomonas and Trypanosoma. In trypanosomes, a distinction was observed between stercorarian and salivarian parasites, except for Trypanosoma rangeli. Our analyses indicate that the variability of AD among trypanosomatids at the genomic level is not solely due to the geographical isolation, being mainly related to specific adaptations of their distinct biological cycles within insect vectors and to a parasitism of a wide range of hosts.

Mitochondrial Sirtuin TcSir2rp3 Affects TcSODA Activity and Oxidative Stress Response in Trypanosoma cruzi

“…T. cruzi is exposed to different redox environments during its life cycle, and adaptation to these conditions determines the success of the infection ( Perez-Molina and Molina, 2018 ; Lidani et al., 2019 ). To deal with this situation, the parasite has developed a sophisticated arsenal of antioxidant enzymes that help maintain redox homeostasis ( Beltrame-Botelho et al., 2016 ). In this work, we showed for the first time that protein acetylation can regulate the oxidative stress response through the action of the sirtuin TcSir2rp3, a lysine deacetylase enzyme located in the mitochondria ( Moretti et al., 2015 ).…”

Homology Inference Based on a Reconciliation Approach for the Comparative Genomics of Protozoa

“… 54 (e) SG_1241 participates in the biosynthesis of amino acids, glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, carbon metabolism, biosynthesis of amino acids, sulfur metabolism, and cysteine and methionine metabolism pathways. It is noted that this Supergroup (SG_1241), even presenting hit with more than one KO, and consequently with distinct enzymes, cystathionine-β-synthase enzyme (EC 4.2.1.22) and cysteine synthase (EC 2.5.1.47), respectively, these 2 enzymes belong to the trypanothione precursor synthesis pathway in trypanosomatid species 55 and both can catalyze similar reactions (adding hydrogen sulfide to l -serine or O -acetyl- l -serine). 56 , 57 (f) SG_711 participates in the cysteine and methionine metabolism, selenocompound metabolism, and the biosynthesis of amino acid pathways, with the cystathionine β-lyase enzyme (EC 4.4.1.8), found in plants, bacteria, and yeast; it is an essential part of the methionine biosynthesis pathway and the absence of this enzyme in higher organisms makes it an important target for the development of antibiotics and herbicides.…”

Lateral Acquisitions Repeatedly Remodel the Oxygen Detoxification Pathway in Diplomonads and Relatives

“…2012; Krauth-Siegel and Leroux 2012; Cabeza et al. 2015; Beltrame-Botelho et al. 2016) which were absent in G. intestinalis and S. salmonicida were identified in these genomic data sets, evaluated, and added to the pathway.…”