title: Identification of a Golgi-localized UDP-N-acetylglucosamine transporter in Trypanosoma cruzi.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nucleotide sugar transporters (NSTs) play an essential role in translocating nucleotide sugars into the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus to be used as substrates in glycosylation reactions. This intracellular transport is an essential step in the biosynthesis of glycoconjugates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We have identified a family of 11 putative NSTs in Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas' disease. A UDP-N-acetylglucosamine transporter, TcNST1, was identified by a yeast complementation approach. Based on a phylogenetic analysis four candidate genes were selected and used for complementation assays in a Kluyveromyces lactis mutant strain. The transporter is likely expressed in all stages of the parasite life cycle and during differentiation of epimastigotes to infective metacyclics. Immunofluorescence analyses of a GFP-TcNST1 fusion protein indicate that the transporter is localized to the Golgi apparatus. As many NSTs are multisubstrate transporters, we also tested the capacity of TcNST1 to transport GDP-Man.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We have identified a UDP-N-acetylglucosamine transporter in T. cruzi, which is specifically localized to the Golgi apparatus and seems to be expressed, at the mRNA level, throughout the parasite life cycle. Functional studies of TcNST1 will be important to unravel the role of NSTs and specific glycoconjugates in T. cruzi survival and infectivity.
authors.affiliation: Present address: Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-000, SP, Brazil. cgustavobaptista@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carlos Gustavo
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Baptista
authors.affiliation: Present address: Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-900, SP, Brazil. e.crodrigues89@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Elizabeth Cristina
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, 81350-010, PR, Brazil. pmorking@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Morking
authors.affiliation: Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, 81350-010, PR, Brazil. amandaklinke@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klinke
authors.affiliation: Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, 81350-010, PR, Brazil. malu_zardo@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Zardo
authors.affiliation: Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, 81350-010, PR, Brazil. maurilio@fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Maurílio José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.affiliation: Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, 81350-010, PR, Brazil. alessandra_aguiar@fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Alessandra Melo
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: de Aguiar
authors.affiliation: Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, 81350-010, PR, Brazil. sgoldenb@fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.affiliation: Instituto Carlos Chagas, Fiocruz Paraná, Curitiba, 81350-010, PR, Brazil. aspramos@fiocruz.br.
authors.forename: Augusto Savio Peixoto
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Ramos
mesh_terms: D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D006056:Golgi Apparatus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D007716:Kluyveromyces / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D013379:Substrate Specificity; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C121945:UDP-N-acetylglucosamine transporter