Trypanosoma cruzi lipids contain a high content of unsaturated fatty acids, primarily oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2). Previous data suggest that this parasite is able to convert oleic acid into linoleic acid; humans are not able to do this. Presently, we show that T. cruzi has a gene with high similarity to the Δ12 (ω6)-oleate desaturase from plants. Northern blot analysis of the oleate desaturase gene from T. cruzi (ODTc) indicated that this gene is transcribed in epimastigote, amastigote, and trypomastigote forms. Pulsed-field analysis showed that ODTc is located at distinct chromosomal bands on distinct T. cruzi phylogenetic groups. In addition, the chromoblot analysis demonstrated the presence of homologous ODTc genes in several trypanosomatids; namely, Crithidia fasciculata, Herpetomonas megaseliae, Leptomonas seymouri, Trypanosoma freitasi, Trypanosoma rangeli, Trypanosoma lewisi, Blastocrithidia sp., Leishmania amazonensis, Endotrypanum schaudinni, and Trypanosoma conorhini. The native ODTc activity was detected by metabolic labeling and analysis of total fatty acids from epimastigotes and trypomastigotes of T. cruzi, coanomastigotes of C. fasciculata, and promastigotes of L. amazonensis, H. megaseliae, and L. seymouri. The fact that the enzyme oleate desaturase is not present in humans makes it an ideal molecular target for the development of new chemotherapeutic approaches against Chagas disease.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
October 2006
THERAPEUTICS-DIAGNOSTICS|
October 01 2006
TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI OLEATE DESATURASE: MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS IN OTHER TRYPANOSOMATIDS
Rosa A. Maldonado;
Rosa A. Maldonado
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968. icalmeida@utep.edu or ramaldonado@utep.edu
* To whom correspondence should be addressed
Search for other works by this author on:
Renata K. Kuniyoshi;
Renata K. Kuniyoshi
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968. icalmeida@utep.edu or ramaldonado@utep.edu
† Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Sciences Institute, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508-000, Brazil
Search for other works by this author on:
Jutta G. Linss;
Jutta G. Linss
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968. icalmeida@utep.edu or ramaldonado@utep.edu
‡ Department of Entomology, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz and Laboratório de Entomologia/Instituto de Biologia do Exército, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21045-900, Brazil
Search for other works by this author on:
Igor C. Almeida
Igor C. Almeida
Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79968. icalmeida@utep.edu or ramaldonado@utep.edu
* To whom correspondence should be addressed
Search for other works by this author on:
J Parasitol (2006) 92 (5): 1064–1074.
Citation
Rosa A. Maldonado, Renata K. Kuniyoshi, Jutta G. Linss, Igor C. Almeida; TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI OLEATE DESATURASE: MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION AND COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS IN OTHER TRYPANOSOMATIDS. J Parasitol 1 October 2006; 92 (5): 1064–1074. doi: https://doi.org/10.1645/GE-845R.1
Download citation file:
Sign in
Don't already have an account? Register
Client Account
You could not be signed in. Please check your email address / username and password and try again.
Could not validate captcha. Please try again.
Sign in via your Institution
Sign in via your InstitutionCiting articles via
EVALUATION OF PELIBUEY LAMBS BORN TO MOTHERS PHENOTYPICALLY SEGREGATED ACCORDING TO RESISTANCE TO GASTROINTESTINAL NEMATODES IN THE HUMID TROPICS OF MEXICO
Claudia Virginia Zaragoza-Vera, Roberto Gonzalez-Garduño, Maritza Zaragoza-Vera, Guadalupe Arjona-Jimenez, Antonio Ortega-Pacheco, Oswaldo Margarito Torres-Chable
ACCEPTANCE OF THE 2022 CLARK P. READ MENTOR AWARD: MENTORING BY DESIGN
Richard E. Clopton