Presence of a lipophosphoglycan in two variants of Trypanosoma brucei brucei.
For the family of Trypanosomatidae (Trypanosoma and Leishmania) the organization of the glycoproteins on the cell surface is a well documented structural feature, because their plasma membranes are potential target for chemotherapy. By using metabolic labeling ( [32P] phosphate, [3H]-myristic acid, [3H]-galactose) and by appropriate fractionated extraction, we have found a trypanosomal molecule which has electrophoretic and chromatographic properties consistent with the lipophosphoglycan of Leishmania donovani defined by Turco et al (1987) Biochemistry 26, 6233-6238 (1). In addition, the trypanosomal lipophosphoglycan, appears to have chromatographic behaviour similar to the glycolipid C of Trypanosoma brucei brucei described by Krakow et al (1986) J. Biol. Chem. 261, 12147-12153 (2). Our results suggest that the role of the trypanosomal lipophosphoglycan may take place in the orientation of the glycoproteins in the surface coat and/or corresponds to the glycolipid precursor for the anchor of variant surface glycoprotein.
Hublart
M
M
Unité INSERM N. 16, Lille.
Tetaert
D
D
Mendonca-Previato
L
L
Degand
P
P
D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006028:Glycosphingolipids / Q000032:analysis*; D019814:Myristic Acid; D009227:Myristic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000032:analysis*
D006028:Glycosphingolipids; D009227:Myristic Acids; C008290:lipophosphonoglycan; D019814:Myristic Acid