Investigation of the threonine metabolism of Echinococcus multilocularis: The threonine dehydrogenase as a potential drug target in alveolar echinococcosis.

ABSTRACT: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a severe zoonotic disease caused by the metacestode stage of the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. We recently showed that E. multilocularis metacestode vesicles scavenge large amounts of L-threonine from the culture medium. This motivated us to study the effect of L-threonine on the parasite and how it is metabolized. We established a novel metacestode vesicle growth assay with an automated readout, which showed that L-threonine treatment led to significantly increased parasite growth. In addition, L-threonine increased the formation of novel metacestode vesicles from primary parasite cell cultures in contrast to the non-proteinogenic threonine analog 3-hydroxynorvaline. Tracing of [U-¹³C]-L-threonine and metabolites in metacestode vesicl

SUBMITTER: Kaethner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11795093 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature