An experimental approach for the identification of conserved secreted proteins in trypanosomatids.
Extracellular factors produced by Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma cruzi, and Trypanosoma brucei are important in the host-parasite relationship. Here, we describe a genome-based approach to identify putative extracellular proteins conserved among trypanosomatids that are likely involved in the classical secretory pathway. Potentially secreted proteins were identified by bioinformatic analysis of the T. cruzi genome. A subset of thirteen genes encoding unknown proteins with orthologs containing a signal peptide sequence in L. infantum, L. major, and T. brucei were transfected into L. infantum. Tagged proteins detected in the extracellular medium confirmed computer predictions in about 25% of the hits. Secretion was confirmed for two L. infantum orthologs proteins using the same experimental system. Infectivity studies of transgenic Leishmania parasites suggest that one of the secreted proteins increases parasite replication inside macrophages. This methodology can identify conserved secreted proteins involved in the classical secretory pathway, and they may represent potential virulence factors in trypanosomatids.
Département Sociétés et Santé, UR016 Caractérisation et contrôle des populations de vecteurs, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, 34394 Montpellier, France. milagroscorrales@yahoo.com.ar
Rosa M
RM
Corrales
Françoise
F
Mathieu-Daudé
Déborah
D
Garcia
Simone F
SF
Brenière
Denis
D
Sereno
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods*; D003198:Computer Simulation; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000469:parasitology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014351:Trypanosomatina / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D037521:Virulence Factors
D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D037521:Virulence Factors