Cytosolic peroxidases protect the lysosome of bloodstream African trypanosomes from iron-mediated membrane damage.

ABSTRACT: African trypanosomes express three virtually identical non-selenium glutathione peroxidase (Px)-type enzymes which preferably detoxify lipid-derived hydroperoxides. As shown previously, bloodstream Trypanosoma brucei lacking the mitochondrial Px III display only a weak and transient proliferation defect whereas parasites that lack the cytosolic Px I and Px II undergo extremely fast lipid peroxidation and cell lysis. The phenotype can completely be rescued by supplementing the medium with the α-tocopherol derivative Trolox. The mechanism underlying the rapid cell death remained however elusive. Here we show that the lysosome is the origin of the cellular injury. Feeding the px I-II knockout parasites with Alexa Fluor-conjugated dextran or LysoTracker in the presence of Trolox yielded a disc

SUBMITTER: Hiller C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3983053 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature