Lipid and fatty acid metabolism in trypanosomatids

Autor(es)

Aquino, Giovana Parreira de ^[1] ; Gomes, Marco Antonio Mendes ^[1] ; Salinas, Roberto Kopke ^[2] ; Laranjeira-Silva, Maria Fernanda ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biosci, Dept Physiol, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Chem, Dept Biochem, Sao Paulo - Brazil

• Tipo de documento: Artigo de Revisão
• Fonte: MICROBIAL CELL; v. 8, n. 11, p. 262-275, NOV 2021.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

Trypanosomiases and leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases that have been spreading to previously non affected areas in recent years. Identification of new chemotherapeutics is needed as there are no vaccines and the currently available treatment options are highly toxic and often ineffective. The causative agents for these diseases are the protozoan parasites of the Trypanosomatidae family, and they alternate between invertebrate and vertebrate hosts during their life cycles. Hence, these parasites must be able to adapt to different environments and compete with their hosts for several essential compounds, such as amino acids, vitamins, ions, carbohydrates, and lipids. Among these nutrients, lipids and fatty acids (FAs) are essential for parasite survival. Trypanosomatids require massive amounts of FAs, and they can either synthesize FAs de novo or scavenge them from the host. Moreover, FAs are the major energy source during specific life cycle stages of T. brucei, T. cruzi, and Leishmania. Therefore, considering the distinctive features of FAs metabolism in trypanosomatids, these pathways could be exploited for the development of novel antiparasitic drugs. In this review, we highlight specific aspects of lipid and FA metabolism in the protozoan parasites T. brucei, T. cruzi, and Leishmania spp., as well as the pathways that have been explored for the development of new chemotherapies. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 18/15971-5 - Identificação e caracterização de proteínas de membrana envolvidas no transporte e metabolismo de ferro em Leishmania.
• Beneficiário: Maria Fernanda Laranjeira da Silva
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Jovens Pesquisadores
• Processo FAPESP: 19/19968-1 - Estudos estruturais acerca do trocador de Na+/Ca2+ (CALX) por espectroscopia de ressonância magnética nuclear em solução
• Beneficiário: Roberto Kopke Salinas
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular