title: The ins and outs of phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis in Trypanosoma brucei.
abstract: Phospholipids are not only major building blocks of biological membranes but fulfill a wide range of critical functions that are often widely unrecognized. In this review, we focus on phosphatidylethanolamine, a major glycerophospholipid class in eukaryotes and bacteria, which is involved in many unexpected biological processes. We describe (i) the ins, i.e. the substrate sources and biochemical reactions involved in phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis, and (ii) the outs, i.e. the different roles of phosphatidylethanolamine and its involvement in various cellular events. We discuss how the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma brucei, has contributed and may contribute in the future as eukaryotic model organism to our understanding of phosphatidylethanolamine homeostasis. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Phospholipids and Phospholipid Metabolism.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. luce.farine@ibmm.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Luce
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Farine
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bütikofer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols / Q000378:metabolism; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000235:genetics; D012694:Serine / Q000378:metabolism; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004983:Ethanolamines; C022203:N-acylethanolamines; D010714:Phosphatidylethanolamines; D010716:Phosphatidylinositols; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D012694:Serine; D012316:RNA Nucleotidyltransferases; C020126:Ethanolamine-phosphate cytidylyltransferase