Arginine metabolism in Trypanosoma cruzi is coupled to parasite stage and replication.
L-Arginine plays an essential role in the energetic metabolism of Trypanosoma cruzi. In this work we propose a relationship between L-arginine uptake, arginine kinase activity and the parasite replication ability. In epimastigote cultures L-arginine uptake decreases continuously accompanying a cell replication rate reduction. The use of conditioned or fresh medium mimics uptake variations. Interestingly, in non-replicative trypomastigote cells, L-arginine uptake was undetectable. The association between L-arginine uptake and cell replication was demonstrated using the antimitotic agent hydroxyurea. Arginine kinase, the enzyme responsible for phosphoarginine and ATP synthesis, also shows a differential activity in epimastigote and trypomastigote parasite stages.
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, INGEBI, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Argentina.
Claudio A
CA
Pereira
Guillermo D
GD
Alonso
Soledad
S
Ivaldi
Ariel
A
Silber
Maria Júlia M
MJ
Alves
León A
LA
Bouvier
Mirtha M
MM
Flawiá
Héctor N
HN
Torres
D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism*; D001122:Arginine Kinase / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism
D001120:Arginine; D001122:Arginine Kinase