Adaptation of Leishmania cells to in vitro culture results in a more efficient reduction and transport of biopterin.
Leishmania major and Leishmania donovani cells freshly isolated from infected animals divided slowly as axenic promastigotes but the addition of biopterin in the culture medium greatly enhanced their growth. However, when cells were subjected to serial passages and adapted to culture, this growth-promoting effect of biopterin was no longer observed. Genetic analysis of these culture-adapted Leishmania cells demonstrated that the genes coding for the pterin reductase PTR1 or for the biopterin transporter BT1 were over-expressed. This suggests that Leishmania cells adapted to culture were more efficient in utilizing biopterin, an essential growth factor in Leishmania.
Roy
G
G
Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du CHUL, Université Laval, Québec, Canada.
Kündig
C
C
Olivier
M
M
Papadopoulou
B
B
Ouellette
M
M
D000220:Adaptation, Biological / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000502:physiology; D001708:Biopterins / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D018320:Leishmania major / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D012692:Serial Passage
D002352:Carrier Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C424383:biopterin transporter 1 protein, Leishmania; D001708:Biopterins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C085592:pteridine reductase