THE SUPERFAMILY KEEPS GROWING: IDENTIFICATION IN TRYPANOSOMATIDS OF RIBJ, THE FIRST RIBOFLAVIN TRANSPORTER FAMILY IN PROTISTS

BALCAZAR DE; VANRELL MC; ROMANO PS; PEREIRA CA; GOLDBAUM FA; BONOMI HR; CARRILLO C

PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES

PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE

Lugar: San Francisco; Año: 2017

1935-2735

Trypanosomatid parasites represent a major health issue affecting hundreds of million people worldwide, with clinical treatments that are partially effective and/or very toxic. They are responsible for serious human and plant diseases including Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas disease), Trypanosoma brucei (Sleeping sickness), Leishmania spp. (Leishmaniasis), and Phytomonas spp. (phytoparasites). Both, animals and trypanosomatids lack the biosynthetic riboflavin (vitamin B2) pathway, the vital precursor of flavin mononucleotide (FMN) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) cofactors. While metazoans obtain riboflavin from the diet through RFVT/SLC52 transporters, the riboflavin transport mechanisms in trypanosomatids still remain unknown.