title: Lysine transporters in human trypanosomatid pathogens.
abstract: In previous studies we characterized arginine transporter genes from Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania donovani, the etiological agents of chagas disease and kala azar, respectively, both fatal diseases in humans. Unlike arginine transporters in higher eukaryotes that transport also lysine, these parasite transporters translocate only arginine. This phenomenon prompted us to identify and characterize parasite lysine transporters. Here we demonstrate that LdAAP7 and TcAAP7 encode lysine-specific permeases in L. donovani and T. cruzi, respectively. These two lysine permeases are both members of the large amino acid/auxin permease family and share certain biochemical properties, such as specificity and Km. However, we evidence that LdAAP7 and TcAAP7 differ in their regulation and localization, such differences are likely a reflection of the dissimilar L. donovani and T. cruzi life cycles. Failed attempts to delete both alleles of LdAAP7 support the premise that this is an essential gene that encodes the only lysine permeases expressed in L. donovani promastigotes and T. cruzi epimastigotes, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 32000, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: Ehud
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Inbar
authors.forename: Gaspar E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Canepa
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carrillo
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Glaser
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suter Grotemeyer
authors.forename: Doris
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rentsch
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zilberstein
authors.forename: Claudio A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Pereira
mesh_terms: D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D007893:Leishmania donovani / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D008239:Lysine / Q000378:metabolism*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000472:pathogenicity
chemical_list: D026905:Amino Acid Transport Systems; D008239:Lysine