A riboside hydrolase that salvages both nucleobases and nicotinamide in the auxotrophic parasite Trichomonas vaginalis.

ABSTRACT: Pathogenic parasites of the Trichomonas genus are causative agents of sexually transmitted diseases affecting millions of individuals worldwide and whose outcome may include stillbirths and enhanced cancer risks and susceptibility to HIV infection. Trichomonas vaginalis relies on imported purine and pyrimidine nucleosides and nucleobases for survival, since it lacks the enzymatic activities necessary for de novo biosynthesis. Here we show that T. vaginalis additionally lacks homologues of the bacterial or mammalian enzymes required for the synthesis of the nicotinamide ring, a crucial component in the redox cofactors NAD⁺ and NADP. Moreover, we show that a yet fully uncharacterized T. vaginalis protein homologous to bacterial and protozoan nucleoside hydrolases is active as a py

SUBMITTER: Patrone M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10474468 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature