An Iron Transporter Is Involved in Iron Homeostasis, Energy Metabolism, Oxidative Stress, and Metacyclogenesis in Trypanosoma cruzi.

ABSTRACT: The parasite Trypanosoma cruzi causes Chagas' disease; both heme and ionic Fe are required for its optimal growth, differentiation, and invasion. Fe is an essential cofactor in many metabolic pathways. Fe is also harmful due to catalyzing the formation of reactive O₂ species; for this reason, all living systems develop mechanisms to control the uptake, metabolism, and storage of Fe. However, there is limited information available on Fe uptake by T. cruzi. Here, we identified a putative 39-kDa Fe transporter in T. cruzi genome, TcIT, homologous to the Fe transporter in Leishmania amazonensis and Arabidopsis thaliana. Epimastigotes grown in Fe-depleted medium have increased TcIT transcription compared with controls grown in regular medium.

SUBMITTER: Dick CF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8785980 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature