The biological membranes of Trypanosoma brucei contain a complex array of phospholipids that are synthesized de novo from precursors obtained either directly from the host, or as catabolised endocytosed lipids. This paper describes the use of nanoflow electrospray tandem mass spectrometry and high resolution mass spectrometry in both positive and negative ion modes, allowing the identification of approximately 500 individual molecular phospholipids species from total lipid extracts of cultured bloodstream and procyclic form T. brucei. Various molecular species of all of the major subclasses of glycerophospholipids were identified including phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylinositol as well as phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylglycerol and cardolipin, and the sphingolipids sphingomyelin, inositol phosphoceramide and ethanolamine phosphoceramide. The lipidomic data obtained in this study will aid future biochemical phenotyping of either genetically or chemically manipulated commonly used bloodstream and procyclic strains of Trypanosoma brucei. Hopefully this will allow a greater understanding of the bizarre world of lipids in this important human pathogen.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0031182010000715 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Quantitative Proteomics, Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB), 55128, Mainz, Germany.
The extracellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei evades the immune system of the mammalian host by periodically exchanging its variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. Hereby, only one VSG gene is transcribed from one of 15 subtelomeric so-called bloodstream form expression sites (BES) at any given timepoint, while all other BESs are silenced. VSG gene expression is altered by homologous recombination using a large VSG gene repertoire or by a so-called in situ switch, which activates a previously silent BES.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFmBio
December 2024
Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA.
Unlabelled: The protozoan parasite is the only known eukaryote capable of synthesizing the three main phosphosphingolipids: sphingomyelin (SM), inositol phosphorylceramide (IPC), and ethanolamine phosphorylceramide (EPC). It has four paralogous genes encoding sphingolipid synthases (). TbSLS1 is a dedicated IPC synthase, TbSLS2 is a dedicated EPC synthase, and TbSLS3 and TbSLS4 are bifunctional SM/EPC synthases.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicrobiol Resour Announc
December 2024
Biology Department, State University of New York at Geneseo, Geneseo, New York, USA.
Herein, the procyclic form and bloodstream form tRNA methylome is reported as revealed by small RNA bisulfite sequencing. 5-Methylcytosines were identified at six unique positions with 54 total 5-methylcytosines revealed. The main hot spot for 5-methylcytosine in tRNA is the junction between the variable region and the T-arm.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFbioRxiv
October 2024
Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA.
Tsetse flies ( spp.) vector African trypanosomes that cause devastating diseases in humans and domestic animals. Within the genus, species in the Palpalis subgroup exhibit greater resistance to trypanosome infections compared to those in the subgroup.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNucleic Acids Res
October 2024
Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Unknown factors regulate mitochondrial U-insertion/deletion (U-indel) RNA editing in procyclic-form (PCF) and bloodstream-form (BSF) T. brucei. This editing, directed by anti-sense gRNAs, creates canonical protein-encoding mRNAs and may developmentally control respiration.
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