title: Identification of a novel prostaglandin f(2alpha) synthase in Trypanosoma brucei.
abstract: Members of the genus Trypanosoma cause African trypanosomiasis in humans and animals in Africa. Infection of mammals by African trypanosomes is characterized by an upregulation of prostaglandin (PG) production in the plasma and cerebrospinal fluid. These metabolites of arachidonic acid (AA) may, in part, be responsible for symptoms such as fever, headache, immunosuppression, deep muscle hyperaesthesia, miscarriage, ovarian dysfunction, sleepiness, and other symptoms observed in patients with chronic African trypanosomiasis. Here, we show that the protozoan parasite T. brucei is involved in PG production and that it produces PGs enzymatically from AA and its metabolite, PGH(2). Among all PGs synthesized, PGF(2alpha) was the major prostanoid produced by trypanosome lysates. We have purified a novel T. brucei PGF(2alpha) synthase (TbPGFS) and cloned its cDNA. Phylogenetic analysis and molecular properties revealed that TbPGFS is completely distinct from mammalian PGF synthases. We also found that TbPGFS mRNA expression and TbPGFS activity were high in the early logarithmic growth phase and low during the stationary phase. The characterization of TbPGFS and its gene in T. brucei provides a basis for the molecular analysis of the role of parasite-derived PGF(2alpha) in the physiology of the parasite and the pathogenesis of African trypanosomiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Behavioral Biology, Osaka Bioscience Institute, Osaka 565-0874, Japan.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Kubata
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Duszenko
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kabututu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rawer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Szallies
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inui
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Horii
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Urade
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hayaishi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016718:Arachidonic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D002457:Cell Extracts; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D007700:Kinetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D015230:Prostaglandin D2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism; D044262:Prostaglandin H2; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism*; D011463:Prostaglandins H / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002457:Cell Extracts; D011463:Prostaglandins H; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016718:Arachidonic Acid; D044262:Prostaglandin H2; D015237:Dinoprost; D011451:Prostaglandin-Endoperoxide Synthases; D015232:Dinoprostone; D015230:Prostaglandin D2