title: Trypanosoma cruzi Epimastigotes Are Able to Manage Internal Cholesterol Levels under Nutritional Lipid Stress Conditions.
abstract: Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes store high amounts of cholesterol and cholesteryl esters in reservosomes. These unique organelles are responsible for cellular digestion by providing substrates for homeostasis and parasite differentiation. Here we demonstrate that under nutritional lipid stress, epimastigotes preferentially mobilized reservosome lipid stocks, instead of lipid bodies, leading to the consumption of parasite cholesterol reservoirs and production of ergosterol. Starved epimastigotes acquired more LDL-NBD-cholesterol by endocytosis and distributed the exogenous cholesterol to their membranes faster than control parasites. Moreover, the parasites were able to manage internal cholesterol levels, alternating between consumption and accumulation. With normal lipid availability, parasites esterified cholesterol exhibiting an ACAT-like activity that was sensitive to Avasimibe in a dose-dependent manner. This result also implies that exogenous cholesterol has a role in lipid reservoirs in epimastigotes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil; Laboratório de Bioquímica de Lipídios e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Miria Gomes
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia-INMETRO, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Gonzalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Visbal
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Leonardo T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Juliana Cunha
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Joseane L P
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Godinho
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioquímica de Lipídios e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Nuccia N T
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: De Cicco
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Bioquímica de Lipídios e Lipoproteínas, Instituto de Bioquímica Médica Leopoldo de Meis, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Geórgia C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Atella
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil; Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Qualidade e Tecnologia-INMETRO, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Wanderley
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Ultraestrutura Celular Hertha Meyer, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.
authors.forename: Narcisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cunha-e-Silva
mesh_terms: D009327:4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism*; D004705:Endocytosis; D004875:Ergosterol / Q000378:metabolism; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C077527:7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-ylcholesterol; D008055:Lipids; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D002784:Cholesterol; D002785:Sterol O-Acyltransferase; D009327:4-Chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan; D004875:Ergosterol