The flagellar adenylate kinases of Trypanosoma cruzi

CAMARA MARIA DE LOS MILAGROS; LEON BOUVIER; MARIANA MIRANDA; CLAUDIO PEREIRA

FEMS MICROBIOLOGY LETTERS

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Lugar: Londres; Año: 2014 vol. 362

0378-1097

Adenylate kinases (ADK) are key enzymes involved in cell energy management. Trypanosomatids present the highest number of variants in a single cell in comparison with the rest of the living organisms. In this work we characterized two Trypanosoma cruzi flagellar adenylate kinases, called TcADK1 and TcADK4, which are also located in the cell cytosol. Interestingly, TcADK1 presents a stage specific expression. This variant was detected in epimastigotes cells, and was completely absent in trypomastigotes and amastigotes, while TcADK4 is presents in the major life cycle stages of T. cruzi. Both variants are also regulated, in opposite ways, along the parasites growth curve suggesting that its expression depends on the intra and extracellular conditions. TcADK1 and TcADK4 present N-terminal extension that could be responsible of their subcellular localization. The presence of ADK variants in the flagellum would be critical for the provision of energy in a process of high ATP consumption such as cell motility.