LACK, a RACK1 ortholog, facilitates cytochrome c oxidase subunit expression to promote Leishmania major fitness.

ABSTRACT: Leishmania are kinetoplastid parasites that cause the sandfly-transmitted disease leishmaniasis. To maintain fitness throughout their infectious life cycle, Leishmania must undergo rapid metabolic adaptations to the dramatically distinct environments encountered during transition between sandfly and vertebrate hosts. We performed proteomic and immunoblot analyses of attenuated L. major strains deficient for LACK, the Leishmania ortholog of the mammalian receptor for activated c kinase (RACK1), that is important for parasite thermotolerance and virulence. This approach identified cytochrome c oxidase (LmCOX) subunit IV as a LACK-dependent fitness protein. Consistent with decreased levels of LmCOX subunit IV at mammalian temperature, and in amastigotes, LmCOX activity and mitochondrial funct

SUBMITTER: Cardenas D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6055511 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature