Trypanosoma cruzi: comparative fatty acid metabolism of the epimastigotes and trypomastigotes in vitro

Metabolic Alteration of Trypanosoma cruzi during Differentiation of Epimastigote to Trypomastigote Forms

Intracellular parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi need to acquire valuable carbon sources from the host cell to replicate. Here, we investigated the energetic metabolism of T. cruzi during metacyclogenesis through the determination of enzymatic activities and quantification by HPLC of glycolytic and Krebs cycle short-chain carboxylic acids. Altered concentrations in pyruvate, acetate, succinate, and glycerate were measured during the growth of epimastigote in the complex medium BHI and their differentiation to trypomastigotes in the chemically defined medium, TAU3AAG. These alterations should represent significant differential metabolic modifications utilized by either form to generate energy. This paper is the first work dealing with the intracellular organic acid concentration measurement in T. cruzi parasites. Although it confirms the previous assumption of the importance of carbohydrate metabolism, it yields an essential improvement in T. cruzi metabolism knowledge.

Fatty acid oxidation participates in resistance to nutrient-depleted environments in the insect stages of Trypanosoma cruzi

Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite causing Chagas disease, is a digenetic flagellated protist that infects mammals (including humans) and reduviid insect vectors. Therefore, T. cruzi must colonize different niches in order to complete its life cycle in both hosts. This fact determines the need of adaptations to face challenging environmental cues. The primary environmental challenge, particularly in the insect stages, is poor nutrient availability. In this regard, it is well known that T. cruzi has a flexible metabolism able to rapidly switch from carbohydrates (mainly glucose) to amino acids (mostly proline) consumption. Also established has been the capability of T. cruzi to use glucose and amino acids to support the differentiation process occurring in the insect, from replicative non-infective epimastigotes to non-replicative infective metacyclic trypomastigotes. However, little is known about the possibilities of using externally available and internally stored fatty acids as resources to survive in nutrient-poor environments, and to sustain metacyclogenesis. In this study, we revisit the metabolic fate of fatty acid breakdown in T. cruzi. Herein, we show that during parasite proliferation, the glucose concentration in the medium can regulate the fatty acid metabolism. At the stationary phase, the parasites fully oxidize fatty acids. [U-14C]-palmitate can be taken up from the medium, leading to CO2 production. Additionally, we show that electrons are fed directly to oxidative phosphorylation, and acetyl-CoA is supplied to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, which can be used to feed anabolic pathways such as the de novo biosynthesis of fatty acids. Finally, we show as well that the inhibition of fatty acids mobilization into the mitochondrion diminishes the survival to severe starvation, and impairs metacyclogenesis.

Purification and Partial characterization of Trypanosoma cruzi triosephosphate isomerase

The enzyme triosephosphate isomerase (TPI, EC 5.3.1.1) was purified from extracts of epimastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. The purification steps included: hydrophobic interaction chromatography on phenyl-Sepharose, CM-Sepharose, and high performance liquid gel filtration chromatography. The CM-Sepharose material contained two bands (27 and 25 kDa) with similar isoelectric points (pI 9.3-9.5) which could be separated by gel filtration in high performance liquid chromatography. Polyclonal antibodies raised against the porcine TPI detected one single polypeptide on western blot with a molecular weight (27 kDa) identical to that purified from T. cruzi. These antibodies also recognized only one band of identical molecular weight in western blots of several other trypanosomatids (Blastocrithidia culicis, Crithidia desouzai, Phytomonas serpens, Herpertomonas samuelpessoai). The presence of only one enzymatic form of TPI in T. cruzi epimastigotes was confirmed by agarose gel activity assay and its localization was established by immunocytochemical analysis. The T. cruzi purified TPI (as well as other trypanosomatid' TPIs) is a dimeric protein, composed of two identical subunits with an approximate mw of 27,000 and it is resolved on two dimensional gel electrophoresis with a pI of 9.3. Sequence analysis of the N-terminal portion of the 27 kDa protein revealed a high homology to Leishmania mexicana and T. brucei proteins.

Differential energetic metabolism during Trypanosoma cruzi differentiation. II. Hexokinase, phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase

The activities of hexokinase (ATP:hexose-6-phosphate transferase, E.C. 2.7.1.1), phosphofructokinase (ATP:fructose-6-phosphate 1-phosphotransferase, E.C.2.7.1.11) and pyruvate kinase (ATP:pyruvate transferase, E.C. 2.7.1.40), and their kinetic behaviour in two morphological forms of Trypanosoma cruzi (epimastigotes and metacyclic trypomastigotes) have been studied. The kinetic responses of the three enzymes to their respective substrates were normalized to hyperbolic forms on a velocity versus substrate concentration plots. Hexokinase and phosphofructokinase showed a higher activity in epimastigotes than in metacyclics, whereas pyruvate kinase had similar activity in both forms of the parasite. The specific activity of hexokinase from epimastigotes was 102.00 mUnits/mg of protein and the apparent Km value for glucose was 35.4 microM. Metacyclic forms showed a specific activity of 55.25 mUnits/mg and a Km value of 46.3 microM. The kinetic parameters (specific activity and Km for fructose 6-phosphate) of phosphofructokinase for epimastigotes were 42.60 mUnits/mg and 0.31 mM and for metacyclics 13.97 mUnits/mg and 0.16 mM, respectively. On the contrary, pyruvate kinase in both forms of T. cruzi did not show significant differences in its kinetic parameters. The specific activity in epimastigotes was 37.00 mUnits/mg and the Km for phosphoenolpyruvate was 0.47 mM, whereas in metacyclics these values were 42.94 mUnits/mg and 0.46 mM, respectively. The results presented in this work, clearly demonstrate a quantitative change in the glycolytic pathway of both culture forms of T. cruzi.

Trypanosoma cruzi: changes in lipid composition during aging in culture

Changes in lipid composition and fatty acid distribution in lipid fractions from total extracts of Trypanosoma cruzi were studied in culture from Day 2 to Day 14. This comprises the phases of exponential, stationary, and declining growth. Total phospholipid content decreased steadily during the three culture phases due to the marked reduction of phosphatidylcholine. Phosphatidylethanolamine increased during the exponential and declining phases. Thus, the final phosphatidylethanolamine/phosphatidylcholine ratio was higher than that determined on the second day. Sterols and acylglycerides increased as cultures aged. Fatty acid composition of different fractions varied during aging: phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine presented an increase of saturated and reduction of polyunsaturated (linoleic) acids, while for lysophosphatidylcholine and acylglycerides, the opposite change occurred. The modifications described may produce reduction of membrane fluidity and indicate that lipids participate actively in the adaptation of T. cruzi to the environmental changes produced by aging in culture.

Alteration of leukotriene release by macrophages ingesting Toxoplasma gondii

Mouse resident peritoneal macrophages incubated with ionophore A23187 or opsonized zymosan released leukotrienes (LT) B4 and C4 (LTB4 and LTC4) and LTC4 and LTD4, respectively. In contrast, incubation with Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan, led to the formation of 11-, 12-, and 15-hydroxyicosatetraenoic acids (HETEs), together with an unidentified compound, designated compound X. Each of these compounds incorporated [3H]arachidonic acid from the macrophage during phagocytosis of T. gondii. Compound X migrated immediately prior to 15-HETE by reverse-phase HPLC and was distinct from authentic monoHETE, monohydroperoxyicosatetraenoic acid (mono-HPETE), and dihydroxyicosatetraenoic acid (diHETE) standards. The generation of compound X by macrophages correlated with the extent of phagocytosis of T. gondii and with intracellular survival of the organisms. Prior antibody-coating of T. gondii or activation of macrophages, either of which inhibited survival and replication of ingested organisms, was associated with production of LTD4 but not compound X. Killed organisms also stimulated LTD4 release only. Although T. gondii concentrated arachidonic acid, they did not metabolize the compound to identifiable lipoxygenase products. Preincubation of macrophages with the relative lipoxygenase inhibitors nordihydroguaiaretic acid or 5,8,11,14-icosatetraynoic acid inhibited the formation of compound X. The absence of leukotriene production by macrophages ingesting T. gondii may explain the relative lack of a neutrophil inflammatory response in diseases due to obligate intracellular organisms. Alternatively, compound X may have functional activities that might mediate some of the host responses to cellular parasitism.

Respiration of Leishmania mexicana amastigotes and promastigotes

Promastigotes of Leishmania mexicana mexicana recently derived from amastigotes by transformation in vitro respired at a rate (17 nmol O2/min per 10(8) parasites) 4-5 times higher than that of amastigotes, but when the difference in cell protein content between the two preparations was taken into account the rates were not significantly different (32 nmol O2/min per mg protein). The respiration of both amastigotes and promastigotes was sensitive to cyanide, azide, antimycin A, 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide and high concentrations of amytal, but insensitive to rotenone and salicyl-hydroxamic acid, indicating that the two developmental forms possess a similar cytochrome-containing respiratory chain. D-Glucose and non-esterified fatty acids stimulated promastigote respiration and amastigote transformation to promastigotes in vitro; possibly these substances are important exogenous energy substrates for both forms of the parasites. Amino acids (incuding L-proline) and proteins did not appear to be used as energy substrates. The respiration rate of promastigotes was found to rise significantly upon continued sub-culture in vitro; at the same time cell size and protein content increased.