Elucidating the Transport Mechanisms and Metabolic Roles of Serine, Threonine, and Glycine in Trypanosoma cruzi
Langue
EN
Document de travail - Pré-publication
Résumé en anglais
L-Serine (L-Ser) and L-Threonine (L-Thr) have versatile roles in metabolism. In addition to their use in protein synthesis, these amino acids participate in the biosynthesis pathways of other amino acids and even phospholipids. ...Lire la suite >
L-Serine (L-Ser) and L-Threonine (L-Thr) have versatile roles in metabolism. In addition to their use in protein synthesis, these amino acids participate in the biosynthesis pathways of other amino acids and even phospholipids. Furthermore, L-Ser and L-Thr can be substrates for a Ser/Thr dehydratase (Ser/ThrDH), resulting in pyruvate (Pyr) and 2-oxobutyrate, respectively, thus being amino acids with anaplerotic potential. Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, uses amino acids in several biological processes: metacyclogenesis, infection, resistance to nutritional and oxidative stress, osmotic control, etc. In this study, we investigated the import and metabolism of L-Ser, L-Thr, and Gly in T. cruzi. Our results demonstrate that these amino acids are transported from the extracellular environment into T. cruzi cells through a saturable transport system that fits the Michaelis-Menten model. Our results show that L-Ser and L-Thr can sustain epimastigote (Epi) cell viability under nutritional stress (NS) conditions and can stimulate oxygen consumption to maintain intracellular ATP levels. Additionally, our findings indicate that l-Ser plays a role in establishing the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) in T. cruzi. L-Ser is also involved in energy metabolism via the Ser-Pyr pathway, which stimulates the production and subsequent excretion of acetate and alanine. Our results demonstrate the importance of L-Ser and l-Thr in the energy metabolism of T. cruzi and provide new insights into the metabolic adaptations of this parasite during its life cycle< Réduire
Mots clés en anglais
Trypanosoma cruzi
amino acid metabolism
transport
bioenergetics
nutritional stress