Lipid composition of Trypanosoma cruzi

Oliveira, Maurício M.; Timm, S.L.; Costa, S.C.G.

doi:10.1016/0305-0491(77)90109-2

Cited by 19 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Early reports ruled out the presence of a carbohydrate polymer (1, 30). Oliveira et al (31) first suggested the possibility that triglycerides could be the energy reserve, which would be similar to the situation in another stercorarian trypanosome, Trypanosoma lewisi , which also has a high endogenous rate of respiration and high triglyceride content (32). However, we found that lipid droplets increase, not decrease, in TcMCU- KO cells.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Different Roles of Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Complex Subunits in Growth and Infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi

Chiurillo

Lander

Bertolini

et al. 2017

mBio

127

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Trypanosoma cruzi is the agent of Chagas disease, and the finding that this parasite possesses a mitochondrial calcium uniporter (TcMCU) with characteristics similar to that of mammalian mitochondria was fundamental for the discovery of the molecular nature of MCU in eukaryotes. We report here that ablation of TcMCU, or its paralog TcMCUb, by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas9 led to a marked decrease in mitochondrial Ca2+ uptake without affecting the membrane potential of these cells, whereas overexpression of each gene caused a significant increase in the ability of mitochondria to accumulate Ca2+. While TcMCU-knockout (KO) epimastigotes were viable and able to differentiate into trypomastigotes, infect host cells, and replicate normally, ablation of TcMCUb resulted in epimastigotes having an important growth defect, lower rates of respiration and metacyclogenesis, more pronounced autophagy changes under starvation, and significantly reduced infectivity. Overexpression of TcMCUb, in contrast to what was proposed for its mammalian ortholog, did not result in a dominant negative effect on TcMCU.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Different Roles of Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Complex Subunits in Growth and Infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi

Chiurillo

Lander

Bertolini

et al. 2017

mBio

127

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“…5A,C). Early studies have pointed out neutral lipids as an important energy store for T. cruzi epimastigotes [26]. Some years later, unsaturated fatty acids were detected in multivesicular bodies, as reservosomes were designated at that time [27].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Isolation and characterization of a reservosome fraction from Trypanosoma cruzi

Cunha-e-Silva

2002

FEMS Microbiology Letters

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Reservosomes are acidic compartments present at the posterior region of epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi that store proteins and lipids. During metacyclogenesis, they consume their contents and disappear. Reservosomes are rich in cruzipain, the main proteolytic enzyme of this parasite. By centrifugation in a sucrose gradient, we have obtained a highly purified subcellular fraction containing reservosomes from 5-day-old Y strain epimastigotes. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the fraction contained well-preserved organelles. The protein profile of the organelle analyzed by SDS^PAGE depicted a wide range of protein bands, predominating those corresponding to a triplet of 60^51 kDa and a doublet of 25^23 kDa. Protease activity in substrate-containing gels, in the presence or absence of protease inhibitors, showed that cysteine proteinase is enriched and very active in the purified fraction. Enzymatic assays demonstrated the absence of pyrophosphatase, an acidocalcisome marker, and succinate cytochrome c reductase, a mitochondrial marker, although these enzymes were active in other regions of the purification sucrose gradient. Thin layer chromatographic neutral lipid analysis of purified reservosomes demonstrated that the organelle stores large amounts of ergosterol and esterified cholesterol. Phospholipid analysis indicated phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine as the major constituents of reservosome membranes. ß

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“…The most prominent glycerophospholipids of Leishmania promastigotes contain saturated and unsaturated C18 fatty acids [152], and most ether-type phospholipids in T. brucei contain C18:0 at the sn -1 and mainly unsaturated fatty acids (C18:2, C22:2) at the sn- 2 position [147]. Phospholipid analysis in T. cruzi epimastigotes revealed PC as the most abundant phospholipid class (44%), followed by PE (28%), PI (12%), SM (4%), and small amounts of CL, PA, lyso -PC and PS [160]. …”

Section: Phospholipid Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Remarkably, due to stage-specific expression of the enzymes catalyzing the final reactions in SM, IPC and EPC synthesis, the relative amounts of these classes vary considerably between different T. brucei life cycle forms, with IPC being primarily present in procyclic, and EPC in bloodstream form parasites [162] (see also below). The presence of SM and IPC has also been demonstrated in T. cruzi epimastigotes [160, 163–165]. The ceramide portion of IPC consists primarily of a mixture of d18:0/16:0 dihydroceramide and d18:1/16:0 ceramide [164].…”

Section: Phospholipid Synthesismentioning

confidence: 99%

Lipid synthesis in protozoan parasites: A comparison between kinetoplastids and apicomplexans

Ramakrishnan

Serricchio

Striepen

et al. 2013

Progress in Lipid Research

134

137

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Lipid metabolism is of crucial importance for pathogens. Lipids serve as cellular building blocks, signalling molecules, energy stores, posttranslational modifiers, and pathogenesis factors. Parasites rely on a complex system of uptake and synthesis mechanisms to satisfy their lipid needs. The parameters of this system change dramatically as the parasite transits through the various stages of its life cycle. Here we discuss the tremendous recent advances that have been made in the understanding of the synthesis and uptake pathways for fatty acids and phospholipids in apicomplexan and kinetoplastid parasites, including Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania. Lipid synthesis differs in significant ways between parasites from both phyla and the human host. Parasites have acquired novel pathways through endosymbiosis, as in the case of the apicoplast, have dramatically reshaped substrate and product profiles, and have evolved specialized lipids to interact with or manipulate the host. These differences potentially provide opportunities for drug development. We outline the lipid pathways for key species in detail as they progress through the developmental cycle and highlight those that are of particular importance to the biology of the pathogens and/or are the most promising targets for parasite-specific treatment.

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Lipid composition of Trypanosoma cruzi

Cited by 19 publications

References 12 publications

Different Roles of Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Complex Subunits in Growth and Infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi

Different Roles of Mitochondrial Calcium Uniporter Complex Subunits in Growth and Infectivity of Trypanosoma cruzi

Isolation and characterization of a reservosome fraction from Trypanosoma cruzi

Lipid synthesis in protozoan parasites: A comparison between kinetoplastids and apicomplexans

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