The adaptation of eukaryotic cells to anaerobic conditions is reflected by substantial changes to mitochondrial metabolism and functional reduction. Hydrogenosomes belong among the most modified mitochondrial derivative and generate molecular hydrogen concomitant with ATP synthesis. The reduction of mitochondria is frequently associated with loss of peroxisomes, which compartmentalize pathways that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thus protect against cellular damage. The biogenesis and function of peroxisomes are tightly coupled with mitochondria. These organelles share fission machinery components, oxidative metabolism pathways, ROS scavenging activities, and some metabolites. The loss of peroxisomes in eukaryotes with reduced mitochondria is thus not unexpected. Surprisingly, we identified peroxisomes in the anaerobic, hydrogenosome-bearing protist Mastigamoeba balamuthi We found a conserved set of peroxin (Pex) proteins that are required for protein import, peroxisomal growth, and division. Key membrane-associated Pexs (MbPex3, MbPex11, and MbPex14) were visualized in numerous vesicles distinct from hydrogenosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), and Golgi complex. Proteomic analysis of cellular fractions and prediction of peroxisomal targeting signals (PTS1/PTS2) identified 51 putative peroxisomal matrix proteins. Expression of selected proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed specific targeting to peroxisomes. The matrix proteins identified included components of acyl-CoA and carbohydrate metabolism and pyrimidine and CoA biosynthesis, whereas no components related to either β-oxidation or catalase were present. In conclusion, we identified a subclass of peroxisomes, named "anaerobic" peroxisomes that shift the current paradigm and turn attention to the reductive evolution of peroxisomes in anaerobic organisms.
- MeSH
- anaerobióza MeSH
- Archamoebae genetika metabolismus MeSH
- mitochondrie genetika metabolismus MeSH
- oxidace-redukce MeSH
- peroxiny genetika metabolismus MeSH
- peroxizomy genetika metabolismus MeSH
- protozoální proteiny genetika metabolismus MeSH
- reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
The enzymes pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (PFO), malic enzyme (ME), and the α- and β-subunits of succinyl-CoA synthetase (SCS) catalyze key steps of energy metabolism in Trichomonas vaginalis hydrogenosomes. These proteins have also been characterized as the adhesins AP120 (PFO), AP65 (ME), AP33, and AP51 (α- and β-SCS), which are localized on the cell surface and mediate the T. vaginalis cytoadherence. However, the mechanisms that facilitate the targeting of these proteins to the cell surface via the secretory pathway and/or to hydrogenosomes are not known. Here we adapted an in vivo biotinylation system to perform highly sensitive tracing of protein trafficking in T. vaginalis. We showed that α- and β-SCS are biotinylated in the cytosol and imported exclusively into the hydrogenosomes. Neither α- nor β-SCS is biotinylated in the endoplasmic reticulum and delivered to the cell surface via the secretory pathway. In contrast, two surface proteins, tetratricopeptide domain-containing membrane-associated protein and tetraspanin family surface protein, as well as soluble-secreted β-amylase-1 are biotinylated in the endoplasmic reticulum and delivered through the secretory pathway to their final destinations. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the α- and β-SCS subunits are targeted only to the hydrogenosomes, which argues against their putative moonlighting function.
- MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mitochondriální proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- proteom analýza metabolismus MeSH
- protozoální proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- stadia vývoje fyziologie MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei růst a vývoj metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Pyruvate is a key product of glycolysis that regulates the energy metabolism of cells. In Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of sleeping sickness, the fate of pyruvate varies dramatically during the parasite life cycle. In bloodstream forms, pyruvate is mainly excreted, whereas in tsetse fly forms, pyruvate is metabolized in mitochondria yielding additional ATP molecules. The character of the molecular machinery that mediates pyruvate transport across mitochondrial membrane was elusive until the recent discovery of mitochondrial pyruvate carrier (MPC) in yeast and mammals. Here, we characterized pyruvate import into mitochondrion of T. brucei. We identified mpc1 and mpc2 homologs in the T. brucei genome with attributes of MPC protein family and we demonstrated that both proteins are present in the mitochondrial membrane of the parasite. Investigations of mpc1 or mpc2 gene knock-out cells proved that T. brucei MPC1/2 proteins facilitate mitochondrial pyruvate transport. Interestingly, MPC is expressed not only in procyclic trypanosomes with fully activated mitochondria but also in bloodstream trypanosomes in which most of pyruvate is excreted. Moreover, MPC appears to be essential for bloodstream forms, supporting the recently emerging picture that the functions of mitochondria in bloodstream forms are more diverse than it was originally thought.
- MeSH
- biologický transport fyziologie MeSH
- buněčné linie MeSH
- energetický metabolismus fyziologie MeSH
- kyselina pyrohroznová metabolismus MeSH
- membránové transportní proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- mitochondriální membrány metabolismus MeSH
- mitochondrie metabolismus MeSH
- proteiny přenášející anionty metabolismus MeSH
- sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei genetika metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
The importance of mitochondria for a typical aerobic eukaryotic cell is undeniable, as the list of necessary mitochondrial processes is steadily growing. Here, we summarize the current knowledge of mitochondrial biology of an early-branching parasitic protist, Trypanosoma brucei, a causative agent of serious human and cattle diseases. We present a comprehensive survey of its mitochondrial pathways including kinetoplast DNA replication and maintenance, gene expression, protein and metabolite import, major metabolic pathways, Fe-S cluster synthesis, ion homeostasis, organellar dynamics, and other processes. As we describe in this chapter, the single mitochondrion of T. brucei is everything but simple and as such rivals mitochondria of multicellular organisms.
- MeSH
- biologický transport MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mitochondriální DNA genetika MeSH
- mitochondriální dynamika MeSH
- mitochondriální proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- mitochondrie metabolismus MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei genetika metabolismus MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- přehledy MeSH
Trypanosomatids are a very diverse group composed of monoxenous and dixenous parasites belonging to the excavate class Kinetoplastea. Here we studied the respiration of five monoxenous species (Blechomonas ayalai, Herpetomonas muscarum, H. samuelpessoai, Leptomonas pyrrhocoris and Sergeia podlipaevi) introduced into culture, each representing a novel yet globally distributed and/or species-rich clade, and compare them with well-studied flagellates Trypanosoma brucei, Phytomonas serpens, Crithidia fasciculata and Leishmania tarentolae. Differences in structure and activities of respiratory chain complexes, respiration and other biochemical parameters recorded under laboratory conditions reveal their substantial diversity, likely a reflection of different host environments. Phylogenetic relationships of the analysed trypanosomatids do not correlate with their biochemical parameters, with the differences within clades by far exceeding those among clades. As the S. podlipaevi canonical respiratory chain complexes have very low activities, we believe that its mitochondrion is utilised for purposes other than oxidative phosphorylation. Hence, the single reticulated mitochondrion of diverse trypanosomatids seems to retain multipotency, with the capacity to activate its individual components based on the host environment.
- MeSH
- fylogeneze MeSH
- Leishmania genetika metabolismus MeSH
- mitochondrie genetika fyziologie MeSH
- oxidativní fosforylace MeSH
- transport elektronů genetika fyziologie MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei genetika metabolismus MeSH
- Trypanosomatina genetika metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
Trypanosomatids are unicellular parasites living in a wide range of host environments, which to large extent shaped their mitochondrial energy metabolism, resulting in quite large differences even among closely related flagellates. In a comparative manner, we analyzed the activities and composition of mitochondrial respiratory complexes in four species (Leishmania tarentolae, Crithidia fasciculata, Phytomonas serpens and Trypanosoma brucei), which represent the main model trypanosomatids. Moreover, we measured the activity of mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, the overall oxygen consumption and the mitochondrial membrane potential in each species. The comparative analysis suggests an inverse relationship between the activities of respiratory complexes I and II, as well as the overall activity of the canonical complexes and glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. Our comparative analysis shows that mitochondrial functions are highly variable in these versatile parasites.
- MeSH
- glycerolfosfátdehydrogenasa metabolismus MeSH
- kyslík metabolismus MeSH
- membránový potenciál mitochondrií MeSH
- mitochondrie enzymologie metabolismus MeSH
- oxidativní fosforylace * MeSH
- transport elektronů MeSH
- Trypanosomatina genetika metabolismus MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- srovnávací studie MeSH
The respiratory chain of the procyclic stage of Trypanosoma brucei contains the standard complexes I through IV, as well as several alternative enzymes contributing to electron flow. In this work, we studied the function of an alternative NADH : ubiquinone oxidoreductase (NDH2). Depletion of target mRNA was achieved using RNA interference (RNAi). In the non-induced and RNAi-induced cell growth, membrane potential change, alteration in production of reactive oxygen species, overall respiration, enzymatic activities of complexes I, III and/or IV and distribution of NADH : ubiquinone oxidoreductase activities in glycerol gradient fractions were measured. Finally, respiration using different substrates was tested on digitonin-permeabilized cells. The induced RNAi cell line exhibited slower growth, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and lower sensitivity of respiration to inhibitors. Mitochondrial glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was the only enzymatic activity that has significantly changed in the interfered cells. This elevation as well as a decrease of respiration using NADH was confirmed on digitonin-permeabilized cells. The data presented here together with previously published findings on complex I led us to propose that NDH2 is the major NADH : ubiquinone oxidoreductase responsible for cytosolic and not for mitochondrial NAD+ regeneration in the mitochondrion of procyclic T. brucei.
- MeSH
- cytosol enzymologie MeSH
- intracelulární membrány metabolismus MeSH
- membránové potenciály MeSH
- mitochondrie enzymologie MeSH
- NAD metabolismus MeSH
- NADH-dehydrogenasa genetika metabolismus MeSH
- oxidoreduktasy genetika metabolismus MeSH
- protozoální proteiny metabolismus MeSH
- respirační komplex I MeSH
- spotřeba kyslíku MeSH
- transport elektronů MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei enzymologie genetika růst a vývoj fyziologie MeSH
- zvířata MeSH
- Check Tag
- zvířata MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
The Trypanosoma brucei cytochrome c oxidase (respiratory complex IV) is a very divergent complex containing a surprisingly high number of trypanosomatid-specific subunits with unknown function. To gain insight into the functional organization of this large protein complex, the expression of three novel subunits (TbCOX VII, TbCOX X and TbCOX 6080) were down-regulated by RNA interference. We demonstrate that all three subunits are important for the proper function of complex IV and the growth of the procyclic stage of T. brucei. These phenotypes were manifested by the structural instability of the complex when these indispensible subunits were repressed. Furthermore, the impairment of cytochrome c oxidase resulted in other severe mitochondrial phenotypes, such as a decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced ATP production via oxidative phoshorylation and redirection of oxygen consumption to the trypanosome-specific alternative oxidase, TAO. Interestingly, the inspected subunits revealed some disparate phenotypes, particularly regarding the activity of cytochrome c reductase (respiratory complex III). While the activity of complex III was down-regulated in RNAi induced cells for TbCOX X and TbCOX 6080, the TbCOX VII silenced cell line actually exhibited higher levels of complex III activity and elevated levels of ROS formation. This result suggests that the examined subunits may have different functional roles within complex IV of T. brucei, perhaps involving the ability to communicate between sequential enzymes in the respiratory chain. In summary, by characterizing the function of three hypothetical components of complex IV, we are able to assign these proteins as genuine and indispensable subunits of the procyclic T. brucei cytochrome c oxidase, an essential component of the respiratory chain in these evolutionary ancestral and medically important parasites.
- MeSH
- fenotyp MeSH
- genový knockdown MeSH
- kvarterní struktura proteinů MeSH
- mitochondriální protonové ATPasy metabolismus MeSH
- mitochondrie enzymologie MeSH
- oxidace-redukce MeSH
- podjednotky proteinů genetika metabolismus MeSH
- protozoální proteiny genetika metabolismus MeSH
- respirační komplex III genetika metabolismus MeSH
- respirační komplex IV genetika metabolismus MeSH
- RNA interference MeSH
- spotřeba kyslíku MeSH
- stabilita enzymů MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei enzymologie genetika růst a vývoj MeSH
- zdroje energie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
The requirement of complex I (NADH:ubiquionone oxidoreductase) for respiration in Trypanosoma brucei is controversial. Recent identification of homologues of its subunits in mitochondrial proteome resolved a question of its presence or absence. However, with one exception, no data have been available concerning the function(s) of complex I or its subunits. Here we present a functional RNAi study of three (NUBM, NUKM, NUEM) putative subunits of this complex. Although no changes were detected in growth, mitochondrial membrane potential or reactive oxygen species production in cell lines depleted for target transcript, the NUBM and NUKM RNAi knock-downs showed decreased specific NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase activity. Moreover, glycerol gradients of all cell lines revealed the presence of two distinct peaks of NADH dehydrogenase activity, with shifted sensitivity to inhibitors of complex I upon RNAi induction. Thus complex I is not only present in the procyclic stage of T. brucei 29-13 strain, but it does participate in electron transport chain.
- MeSH
- buněčné dýchání MeSH
- genový knockdown MeSH
- malá interferující RNA genetika metabolismus MeSH
- mikrobiální viabilita MeSH
- podjednotky proteinů genetika metabolismus MeSH
- reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus MeSH
- respirační komplex I genetika metabolismus MeSH
- Trypanosoma brucei brucei enzymologie růst a vývoj metabolismus fyziologie MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
