Metabolic reprogramming during the Trypanosoma brucei life cycle

Terry K Smith,Luisa M Figueiredo,Frédéric Bringaud,Derek P Nolan

doi:10.12688/f1000research.10342.1

Abstract

Cellular metabolic activity is a highly complex, dynamic, regulated process that is influenced by numerous factors, including extracellular environmental signals, nutrient availability and the physiological and developmental status of the cell. The causative agent of sleeping sickness,Trypanosoma brucei, is an exclusively extracellular protozoan parasite that encounters very different extracellular environments during its life cycle within the mammalian host and tsetse fly insect vector. In order to meet these challenges, there are significant alterations in the major energetic and metabolic pathways of these highly adaptable parasites. This review highlights some of these metabolic changes in this early divergent eukaryotic model organism.

Highlights

Trypanosoma brucei is a unicellular protozoan parasite, transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies (Glossina genus)
The most ‘classic’ scenario would be that fatty acids undergo several cycles of β-oxidation, releasing acetyl-CoA, which could enter the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, leading to the production of NADH and FADH2, which could result in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS)
Researchers discovered that during immune cell activation, the levels of many metabolites undergo alterations and these changes are directly linked to immune cell effector functions

Summary

Introduction

Trypanosoma brucei is a unicellular protozoan parasite, transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies (Glossina genus). 4. Metabolic adaptations during the Trypanosoma brucei life cycle The bloodstream of a mammalian host is a very rich environment, containing 5 mM of glucose, 95% to 99% oxygen saturation levels and 0.6 to 0.8 g/mL proteins, including lipoproteins (low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein). The most ‘classic’ scenario would be that fatty acids undergo several cycles of β-oxidation, releasing acetyl-CoA, which could enter the TCA cycle, leading to the production of NADH and FADH2, which could result in the production of ATP by OXPHOS This hypothesis, implies that complexes III and IV of the respiratory chain are active, and this has not been observed so far in T. brucei mammalian forms. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

10. Thompson CB

13. Warburg O

19. Matthews KR

32. Ryley JF

Findings

PubMed Abstract