Schistosoma mansoni ferredoxin NADP(H) oxidoreductase and its role in detoxification

GIRARDINI J.E.; DISSOUS C.; SERRA E.

MOLECULAR AND BIOCHEMICAL PARASITOLOGY

Año: 2002 vol. 124 p. 37 - 45

0166-6851

Ferredoxin NADP(H) oxidoreductases (FNR) are flavoenzymes that catalyze the electron transfer between NADP(H) and a wide range of compounds including ferredoxins and bacterial flavodoxins. FNRs are classified into two major groups: plant- and vertebrate-type. Plant-type FNRs are implicated in photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation in plastids and photosynthetic bacteria, and were recently implicated in cell protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS). Vertebrate-type FNRs are mitochondrial enzymes implicated in steroid hormone biosynthesis in mammals and in Fe uptake and metabolism in yeasts. We have cloned and sequenced a cDNA coding for the vertebrate-type Schistosoma mansoni FNR. Gel diaphorase activity and western blot assays demonstrated that SmFNR represented the major diaphorase activity of adult worms. An active recombinant SmFNR was expressed in Escherichia coli that made the bacteria tolerant to oxygen peroxide, cumene hydroperoxide and the superoxidegenerating herbicide, methyl viologen (MV).