Trans-sialidase and mucins of Trypanosoma cruzi: an important interplay for the parasite

GIORGI ME; LEDERKREMER R M

CARBOHYDRATE RESEARCH

ELSEVIER SCI LTD

Lugar: Amsterdan; Año: 2011 vol. 346 p. 1389 - 1393

0008-6215

A dense glycocalix covers the surface of Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of Chagasdisease. Sialic acid in the surface of the parasite plays an important role in the infectiousprocess, however, T. cruzi is unable to synthesize sialic acid or the usual donor CMP-sialicacid. Instead, T. cruzi expresses a unique enzyme, the trans-sialidase (TcTS) involved in thetransfer of sialic acid from host glycoconjugates to mucins of the parasite. The mucins arethe major glycoproteins in the insect stage epimastigotes and in the infectivetrypomastigotes. Both, the mucins and the TcTS are anchored to the plasma membrane by aglycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor. Thus, TcTS may be shed into the bloodstream of themammal host by the action of a parasite phosphatidylinositol-phospholipase C, affectingthe immune system. The composition and structure of the sugars in the parasite mucins ischaracteristic of each differentiation stage, also, interstrain variations were described forepimastigote mucins. This review focus on the characteristics of the interplay between thetrans-sialidase and the mucins of T. cruzi and summarizes the known carbohydratestructures of the mucins.