Proteomic analysis of the Trypanosoma cruzi ribosomal proteins

JURI AYUB M; ATWOOD JAMES; NUCCIO ART; TARLETON RICK; LEVIN MARIANO L

BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Año: 2009 vol. 382 p. 30 - 34

0006-291X

Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasite responsible for Chagas Disease. The identification of new targets for chemotherapy is a major challenge for the control of this disease. Several evidences lines strongly suggest that translational system in trypanosomatids show important differences comparing to other eukaryotes. However, there is little information about this subject. We have performed a detailed data mining search for ribosomal protein genes in T. cruzi genome combined with mass spectrometry analysis of purified T. cruzi ribosomes. Our results show that T. cruzi ribosomal proteins have ~50% sequence identity to yeast ones. However, parasite proteins are longer due to the presence of several N or C-terminal extensions, which are exclusive of trypanosomatids. In particular, L19 and S21 show C-terminal extensions of 168 and 164 amino acids, respectively. In addition, we detected two 60S subunit proteins that had not been previously detected in the T. cruzi total proteome; L22 and L42.is a parasite responsible for Chagas Disease. The identification of new targets for chemotherapy is a major challenge for the control of this disease. Several evidences lines strongly suggest that translational system in trypanosomatids show important differences comparing to other eukaryotes. However, there is little information about this subject. We have performed a detailed data mining search for ribosomal protein genes in T. cruzi genome combined with mass spectrometry analysis of purified T. cruzi ribosomes. Our results show that T. cruzi ribosomal proteins have ~50% sequence identity to yeast ones. However, parasite proteins are longer due to the presence of several N or C-terminal extensions, which are exclusive of trypanosomatids. In particular, L19 and S21 show C-terminal extensions of 168 and 164 amino acids, respectively. In addition, we detected two 60S subunit proteins that had not been previously detected in the T. cruzi total proteome; L22 and L42.