Heme A synthesis and CO activity are essential for infectivity and replication.

, the causative agent of Chagas disease, presents a complex life cycle and adapts its metabolism to nutrients' availability. Although is an aerobic organism, it does not produce heme. This cofactor is acquired from the host and is distributed and inserted into different heme-proteins such as respiratory complexes in the parasite's mitochondrion.

Role of heme and heme-proteins in trypanosomatid essential metabolic pathways.

Around the world, trypanosomatids are known for being etiological agents of several highly disabling and often fatal diseases like Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi), leishmaniasis (Leishmania spp.), and African trypanosomiasis (Trypanosoma brucei). Throughout their life cycle, they must cope with diverse environmental conditions, and the mechanisms involved in these processes are crucial for their survival.