title: Characterization of a Trypanosoma cruzi acetyltransferase: cellular location, activity and structure.
abstract: Trypanosomatids are widespread parasites that cause three major tropical diseases. In trypanosomatids, as in most other organisms, acetylation is a common protein modification that is important in multiple, diverse processes. This paper describes a new member of the Trypanosoma cruzi acetyltransferase family. The gene is single copy and orthologs are also present in the other two sequenced trypanosomatids, Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major. This protein (TcAT-1) has the essential motifs present in members of the GCN5-related acetyltransferase (GNAT) family, as well as an additional motif also found in some enzymes from plant and animal species. The protein is evolutionarily more closely related to this group of enzymes than to histone acetyltransferases. The native protein has a cytosolic cellular location and is present in all three life-cycle stages of the parasite. The recombinant protein was shown to have autoacetylation enzymatic activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Berzelius väg 35, Stockholm 17177, Sweden.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ochaya
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Respuela
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simonsson
authors.forename: Abhiman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saraswathi
authors.forename: Carole
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Branche
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Búa
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nilsson
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aslund
authors.forename: Esteban J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bontempi
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Andersson
mesh_terms: D000107:Acetylation; D000123:Acetyltransferases / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D017125:Genes, Protozoan; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D026723:Polyadenylation; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D020539:Sequence Analysis, Protein; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D000123:Acetyltransferases