title: Degradation of pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) enzyme during growth phase in the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani.
abstract: Pteridine reductase 1 (PTR1) is an essential enzyme of pterin and folate metabolism in the protozoan parasite Leishmania. The present work is focused on the degradation of PTR1 during growth phase in Leishmania donovani. Western blot analysis with PTR1-GFP transfected promastigotes revealed that PTR1 protein was degraded in the stationary phase of growth at the time when the parasites were undergoing metacyclogenesis. Fluorescence microscopy revealed cytoplasmic localization of GFP tagged protein extending to the flagellum in these stationary phase promastigotes, implying that degradation of the protein was not by the usual multivesicular tubule lysosome (MVT) pathway. A probable destruction box of nine amino acids Q63ADLSNVAK71 and possible lysine residue K156 was identified in L. donovani PTR1 to be the site for ubiquitin conjugation. This suggests that PTR1 degradation during the stationary phase of growth is mediated by the proteasome. This leads to lower levels of H4-biopterin, which favors metacyclogenesis, and subsequently results in a highly infective stage of the parasite. Therefore, this finding has importance to identify new target molecule like the proteasome for therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Drug Target Discovery and Development Division, Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Pranav
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Shyam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sundar
authors.forename: Neeloo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D005407:Flagella / Q000378:metabolism; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D049408:Luminescent Agents; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex / Q000502:physiology; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan; D049408:Luminescent Agents; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D010088:Oxidoreductases; C085592:pteridine reductase; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex