title: An alpha D-globin fragment from Triatoma infestans hindgut stimulates Trypanosoma cruzi adenylyl cyclase and promotes metacyclogenesis.
abstract: A peptide from hindguts of the Triatoma infestans, the hematophagous Chagas' insect vector, activates adenylyl cyclase activity in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigote membranes and stimulates the in vitro differentiation of epimastigotes (proliferative and non-infectious forms) to metacyclic trypomastigotes (non-proliferative and infectious forms). The peptide was purified from hindguts of insects fed two days before with chicken blood. After purification, the peptide showed upon SDS-PAGE a single band of about 10 kDa. The sequence for 20 residues of the amino terminus of this peptide was: H2N-Met-Leu-Thr-Ala-Glu-Asp-Lys-Lys-Leu-Ile-Gln-Gln-Ala-Trp-Glu-Lys-Ala- Ala-Ser-His. This sequence corresponds to the amino terminus of chicken alpha D-globin. A synthetic peptide with the sequence of the 40 amino acids corresponding to the amino terminus of alpha D-globin, also stimulated T. cruzi adenylyl cyclase activity and promoted metacyclogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fraidenraich
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peña
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Isola
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Lammel
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Coso
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Añel
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Baralle
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Flawia
mesh_terms: D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens; D004068:Digestive System Physiological Phenomena; D005914:Globins / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D014224:Triatoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; D005914:Globins; D000262:Adenylyl Cyclases