Hemoglobin Endocytosis and Intracellular Trafficking: A Novel Way of Heme Acquisition by Leishmania.

ABSTRACT: Leishmania species are causative agents of human leishmaniasis, affecting 12 million people annually. Drugs available for leishmaniasis are toxic, and no vaccine is available. Thus, the major thrust is to identify new therapeutic targets. Leishmania is an auxotroph for heme and must acquire heme from the host for its survival. Thus, the major focus has been to understand the heme acquisition process by the parasites in the last few decades. It is conceivable that the parasite is possibly obtaining heme from host hemoprotein, as free heme is not available in the host. Current understanding indicates that Leishmania internalizes hemoglobin (Hb) through a specific receptor by a clathrin-mediated endocytic process and targets it to the parasite lysosomes via the Rab5 and R

SUBMITTER: Ansari I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9143042 | biostudies-literature | 2022 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature