Mitochondrial evolution entailed the origin of protein import machinery that allows nuclear-encoded proteins to be targeted to the organelle, as well as the origin of cleavable N-terminal targeting sequences (NTS) that allow efficient sorting and import of matrix proteins. In hydrogenosomes and mitosomes, reduced forms of mitochondria with reduced proteomes, NTS-independent targeting of matrix proteins is known. Here, we studied the cellular localization of two glycolytic enzymes in the anaerobic pathogen Trichomonas vaginalis: PPi-dependent phosphofructokinase (TvPPi-PFK), which is the main glycolytic PFK activity of the protist, and ATP-dependent PFK (TvATP-PFK), the function of which is less clear. TvPPi-PFK was detected predominantly in the cytosol, as expected, while all four TvATP-PFK paralogues were imported into T. vaginalis hydrogenosomes, although none of them possesses an NTS. The heterologous expression of TvATP-PFK in Saccharomyces cerevisiae revealed an intrinsic capability of the protein to be recognized and imported into yeast mitochondria, whereas yeast ATP-PFK resides in the cytosol. TvATP-PFK consists of only a catalytic domain, similarly to "short" bacterial enzymes, while ScATP-PFK includes an N-terminal extension, a catalytic domain, and a C-terminal regulatory domain. Expression of the catalytic domain of ScATP-PFK and short Escherichia coli ATP-PFK in T. vaginalis resulted in their partial delivery to hydrogenosomes. These results indicate that TvATP-PFK and the homologous ATP-PFKs possess internal structural targeting information that is recognized by the hydrogenosomal import machinery. From an evolutionary perspective, the predisposition of ancient ATP-PFK to be recognized and imported into hydrogenosomes might be a relict from the early phases of organelle evolution.

• MeSH
• adenosintrifosfát farmakologie   MeSH
• difosfáty metabolismus   MeSH
• ferredoxiny metabolismus   MeSH
• fosfofruktokinasy chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• mitochondrie účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• organely účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• promotorové oblasti (genetika) genetika   MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae účinky léků   metabolismus   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• sekvenční seřazení MeSH
• transport proteinů účinky léků   MeSH
• Trichomonas vaginalis účinky léků   enzymologie   MeSH
• vodík metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adenosintrifosfát MeSH
• difosfáty MeSH
• ferredoxiny MeSH
• fosfofruktokinasy MeSH
• vodík MeSH

The highly conserved ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) is a key energetic link between the mitochondrial (mt) and cytosolic compartments of all aerobic eukaryotic cells, as it exchanges the ATP generated inside the organelle for the cytosolic ADP. Trypanosoma brucei, a parasitic protist of medical and veterinary importance, possesses a single functional AAC protein (TbAAC) that is related to the human and yeast ADP/ATP carriers. However, unlike previous studies performed with these model organisms, this study showed that TbAAC is most likely not a stable component of either the respiratory supercomplex III+IV or the ATP synthasome but rather functions as a physically separate entity in this highly diverged eukaryote. Therefore, TbAAC RNA interference (RNAi) ablation in the insect stage of T. brucei does not impair the activity or arrangement of the respiratory chain complexes. Nevertheless, RNAi silencing of TbAAC caused a severe growth defect that coincides with a significant reduction of mt ATP synthesis by both substrate and oxidative phosphorylation. Furthermore, TbAAC downregulation resulted in a decreased level of cytosolic ATP, a higher mt membrane potential, an elevated amount of reactive oxygen species, and a reduced consumption of oxygen in the mitochondria. Interestingly, while TbAAC has previously been demonstrated to serve as the sole ADP/ATP carrier for ADP influx into the mitochondria, our data suggest that a second carrier for ATP influx may be present and active in the T. brucei mitochondrion. Overall, this study provides more insight into the delicate balance of the functional relationship between TbAAC and the oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) pathway in an early diverged eukaryote.

• MeSH
• mitochondriální ADP/ATP-translokasy chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• molekulární evoluce * MeSH
• oxidativní fosforylace * MeSH
• protozoální proteiny chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• mitochondriální ADP/ATP-translokasy MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH

Zygosaccharomyces rouxii is a fructophilic yeast that consumes fructose preferably to glucose. This behavior seems to be related to sugar uptake. In this study, we constructed Z. rouxii single-, double-, and triple-deletion mutants in the UL4 strain background (a ura3 strain derived from CBS 732(T)) by deleting the genes encoding the specific fructose facilitator Z. rouxii Ffz1 (ZrFfz1), the fructose/glucose facilitator ZrFfz2, and/or the fructose symporter ZrFsy1. We analyzed the effects on the growth phenotype, on kinetic parameters of fructose and glucose uptake, and on sugar consumption profiles. No growth phenotype was observed on fructose or glucose upon deletion of FFZ genes. Deletion of ZrFFZ1 drastically reduced fructose transport capacity, increased glucose transport capacity, and eliminated the fructophilic character, while deletion of ZrFFZ2 had almost no effect. The strain in which both FFZ genes were deleted presented even higher consumption of glucose than strain Zrffz1Δ, probably due to a reduced repressing effect of fructose. This study confirms the molecular basis of the Z. rouxii fructophilic character, demonstrating that ZrFfz1 is essential for Z. rouxii fructophilic behavior. The gene is a good candidate to improve the fructose fermentation performance of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains.

• MeSH
• biologický transport genetika   MeSH
• fermentace genetika   MeSH
• fruktosa metabolismus   MeSH
• fungální proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• genový knockdown MeSH
• glukosa metabolismus   MeSH
• proliferace buněk genetika   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u hub MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Zygosaccharomyces genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• fruktosa MeSH
• fungální proteiny MeSH
• glukosa MeSH

There are a variety of complex metabolic processes ongoing simultaneously in the single, large mitochondrion of Trypanosoma brucei. Understanding the organellar environment and dynamics of mitochondrial proteins requires quantitative measurement in vivo. In this study, we have validated a method for immobilizing both procyclic stage (PS) and bloodstream stage (BS) T. brucei brucei with a high level of cell viability over several hours and verified its suitability for undertaking fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP), with mitochondrion-targeted yellow fluorescent protein (YFP). Next, we used this method for comparative analysis of the translational diffusion of mitochondrial RNA-binding protein 1 (MRP1) in the BS and in T. b. evansi. The latter flagellate is like petite mutant Saccharomyces cerevisiae because it lacks organelle-encoded nucleic acids. FRAP measurement of YFP-tagged MRP1 in both cell lines illuminated from a new perspective how the absence or presence of RNA affects proteins involved in mitochondrial RNA metabolism. This work represents the first attempt to examine this process in live trypanosomes.

• MeSH
• mitochondriální proteiny genetika   MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• protozoální proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• RNA interference MeSH
• RNA mitochondriální MeSH
• RNA genetika   MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae genetika   MeSH
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei genetika   MeSH
• viabilita buněk genetika   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• gBP21 protein, Trypanosoma brucei MeSH Prohlížeč
• mitochondriální proteiny MeSH
• proteiny vázající RNA MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH
• RNA mitochondriální MeSH
• RNA MeSH

Trypanosoma brucei has a complex life cycle during which its single mitochondrion is subjected to major metabolic and morphological changes. While the procyclic stage (PS) of the insect vector contains a large and reticulated mitochondrion, its counterpart in the bloodstream stage (BS) parasitizing mammals is highly reduced and seems to be devoid of most functions. We show here that key Fe-S cluster assembly proteins are still present and active in this organelle and that produced clusters are incorporated into overexpressed enzymes. Importantly, the cysteine desulfurase Nfs, equipped with the nuclear localization signal, was detected in the nucleolus of both T. brucei life stages. The scaffold protein Isu, an interacting partner of Nfs, was also found to have a dual localization in the mitochondrion and the nucleolus, while frataxin and both ferredoxins are confined to the mitochondrion. Moreover, upon depletion of Isu, cytosolic tRNA thiolation dropped in the PS but not BS parasites.

• MeSH
• aktivní transport - buněčné jádro MeSH
• buněčné jádro metabolismus   MeSH
• ferredoxiny metabolismus   MeSH
• frataxin MeSH
• jaderné lokalizační signály MeSH
• lyasy štěpící vazby C-S chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• mitochondriální proteiny metabolismus   MeSH
• mitochondrie metabolismus   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• multimerizace proteinu MeSH
• proteiny asociované s jadernou matrix chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• proteiny vázající železo metabolismus   MeSH
• protozoální proteiny chemie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei enzymologie   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• vazba proteinů MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cysteine desulfurase MeSH Prohlížeč
• ferredoxiny MeSH
• jaderné lokalizační signály MeSH
• lyasy štěpící vazby C-S MeSH
• mitochondriální proteiny MeSH
• proteiny asociované s jadernou matrix MeSH
• proteiny vázající železo MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH

Ubiquinone 9 (UQ9), the expected product of the long-chain solanesyl diphosphate synthase of Trypanosoma brucei (TbSPPS), has a central role in reoxidation of reducing equivalents in the mitochondrion of T. brucei. The ablation of TbSPPS gene expression by RNA interference increased the generation of reactive oxygen species and reduced cell growth and oxygen consumption. The addition of glycerol to the culture medium exacerbated the phenotype by blocking its endogenous generation and excretion. The participation of TbSPPS in UQ synthesis was further confirmed by growth rescue using UQ with 10 isoprenyl subunits (UQ10). Furthermore, the survival of infected mice was prolonged upon the downregulation of TbSPPS and/or the addition of glycerol to drinking water. TbSPPS is inhibited by 1-[(n-oct-1-ylamino)ethyl] 1,1-bisphosphonic acid, and treatment with this compound was lethal for the cells. The findings that both UQ9 and ATP pools were severely depleted by the drug and that exogenous UQ10 was able to fully rescue growth of the inhibited parasites strongly suggest that TbSPPS and UQ synthesis are the main targets of the drug. These two strategies highlight the importance of TbSPPS for T. brucei, justifying further efforts to validate it as a new drug target.

• MeSH
• alkyltransferasy a aryltransferasy antagonisté a inhibitory   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• doxycyklin terapeutické užití   MeSH
• glycerol terapeutické užití   MeSH
• indoly MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů farmakologie   MeSH
• maleimidy MeSH
• myši MeSH
• nitrily farmakokinetika   farmakologie   MeSH
• protozoální proteiny antagonisté a inhibitory   genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• pyridiny farmakokinetika   farmakologie   MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku metabolismus   MeSH
• stadia vývoje * MeSH
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei enzymologie   růst a vývoj   patogenita   MeSH
• trypanozomiáza farmakoterapie   MeSH
• ubichinon biosyntéza   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• 3-(4-fluorophenylethylamino)-1-methyl-4-(2-methyl-1H-indol-3-yl)-1H-pyrrole-2,5-dione MeSH Prohlížeč
• alkyltransferasy a aryltransferasy MeSH
• doxycyklin MeSH
• glycerol MeSH
• indoly MeSH
• inhibitory enzymů MeSH
• maleimidy MeSH
• nitrily MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH
• pyridiny MeSH
• reaktivní formy kyslíku MeSH
• trans-octaprenyltranstransferase MeSH Prohlížeč
• ubichinon MeSH

The anaerobic intestinal pathogen Giardia intestinalis does not possess enzymes for heme synthesis, and it also lacks the typical set of hemoproteins that are involved in mitochondrial respiration and cellular oxygen stress management. Nevertheless, G. intestinalis may require heme for the function of particular hemoproteins, such as cytochrome b5 (cytb5). We have analyzed the sequences of eukaryotic cytb5 proteins and identified three distinct cytb5 groups: group I, which consists of C-tail membrane-anchored cytb5 proteins; group II, which includes soluble cytb5 proteins; and group III, which comprises the fungal cytb5 proteins. The majority of eukaryotes possess both group I and II cytb5 proteins, whereas three Giardia paralogs belong to group II. We have identified a fourth Giardia cytb5 paralog (gCYTb5-IV) that is rather divergent and possesses an unusual 134-residue N-terminal extension. Recombinant Giardia cytb5 proteins, including gCYTb5-IV, were expressed in Escherichia coli and exhibited characteristic UV-visible spectra that corresponded to heme-loaded cytb5 proteins. The expression of the recombinant gCYTb5-IV in G. intestinalis resulted in the increased import of extracellular heme and its incorporation into the protein, whereas this effect was not observed when gCYTb5-IV containing a mutated heme-binding site was expressed. The electrons for Giardia cytb5 proteins may be provided by the NADPH-dependent Tah18-like oxidoreductase GiOR-1. Therefore, GiOR-1 and cytb5 may constitute a novel redox system in G. intestinalis. To our knowledge, G. intestinalis is the first anaerobic eukaryote in which the presence of heme has been directly demonstrated.

• MeSH
• cytochromy b5 chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• cytoplazma metabolismus   MeSH
• Giardia chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• hem metabolismus   MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• protozoální proteiny chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• transport proteinů MeSH
• vazba proteinů MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cytochromy b5 MeSH
• hem MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH

In yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and animals, the sulfhydryl oxidase Erv1 functions with Mia40 in the import and oxidative folding of numerous cysteine-rich proteins in the mitochondrial intermembrane space (IMS). Erv1 is also required for Fe-S cluster assembly in the cytosol, which uses at least one mitochondrially derived precursor. Here, we characterize an essential Erv1 orthologue from the protist Trypanosoma brucei (TbERV1), which naturally lacks a Mia40 homolog. We report kinetic parameters for physiologically relevant oxidants cytochrome c and O(2), unexpectedly find O(2) and cytochrome c are reduced simultaneously, and demonstrate that efficient reduction of O(2) by TbERV1 is not dependent upon a simple O(2) channel defined by conserved histidine and tyrosine residues. Massive mitochondrial swelling following TbERV1 RNA interference (RNAi) provides evidence that trypanosome Erv1 functions in IMS protein import despite the natural absence of the key player in the yeast and animal import pathways, Mia40. This suggests significant evolutionary divergence from a recently established paradigm in mitochondrial cell biology. Phylogenomic profiling of genes also points to a conserved role for TbERV1 in cytosolic Fe-S cluster assembly. Conversely, loss of genes implicated in precursor delivery for cytosolic Fe-S assembly in Entamoeba, Trichomonas, and Giardia suggests fundamental differences in intracellular trafficking pathways for activated iron or sulfur species in anaerobic versus aerobic eukaryotes.

• MeSH
• cytochromy c chemie   MeSH
• fylogeneze MeSH
• genový knockdown MeSH
• kinetika MeSH
• kyslík chemie   MeSH
• mitochondriální proteiny chemie   genetika   MeSH
• mitochondrie enzymologie   ultrastruktura   MeSH
• molekulární evoluce MeSH
• mutageneze cílená MeSH
• oxidace-redukce MeSH
• oxidancia MeSH
• oxidoreduktasy chemie   genetika   MeSH
• protozoální proteiny chemie   genetika   MeSH
• RNA interference MeSH
• sbalování proteinů MeSH
• substituce aminokyselin MeSH
• transport proteinů MeSH
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei cytologie   enzymologie   MeSH
• zduření mitochondrií MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• cytochromy c MeSH
• kyslík MeSH
• mitochondriální proteiny MeSH
• oxidancia MeSH
• oxidoreduktasy MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH
• sulfhydryl oxidase MeSH Prohlížeč

The parabasalid protist Trichomonas vaginalis is a widespread parasite that affects humans, frequently causing vaginitis in infected women. Trichomonad mitosis is marked by the persistence of the nuclear membrane and the presence of an asymmetric extranuclear spindle with no obvious direct connection to the chromosomes. No centromeric markers have been described in T. vaginalis, which has prevented a detailed analysis of mitotic events in this organism. In other eukaryotes, nucleosomes of centromeric chromatin contain the histone H3 variant CenH3. The principal aim of this work was to identify a CenH3 homolog in T. vaginalis. We performed a screen of the T. vaginalis genome to retrieve sequences of canonical and variant H3 histones. Three variant histone H3 proteins were identified, and the subcellular localization of their epitope-tagged variants was determined. The localization of the variant TVAG_185390 could not be distinguished from that of the canonical H3 histone. The sequence of the variant TVAG_087830 closely resembled that of histone H3. The tagged protein colocalized with sites of active transcription, indicating that the variant TVAG_087830 represented H3.3 in T. vaginalis. The third H3 variant (TVAG_224460) was localized to 6 or 12 distinct spots at the periphery of the nucleus, corresponding to the number of chromosomes in G(1) phase and G(2) phase, respectively. We propose that this variant represents the centromeric marker CenH3 and thus can be employed as a tool to study mitosis in T. vaginalis. Furthermore, we suggest that the peripheral distribution of CenH3 within the nucleus results from the association of centromeres with the nuclear envelope throughout the cell cycle.

• MeSH
• aktivace transkripce MeSH
• buněčné jádro genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• centromera genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• chromozomy genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• fluorescenční mikroskopie MeSH
• G1 fáze MeSH
• G2 fáze MeSH
• genom protozoální * MeSH
• histony genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• jaderný obal metabolismus   MeSH
• mitóza MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• nukleozomy metabolismus   MeSH
• protozoální proteiny genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• sekvence aminokyselin MeSH
• sekvenční analýza proteinů MeSH
• transformace genetická MeSH
• Trichomonas vaginalis genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• histony MeSH
• nukleozomy MeSH
• protozoální proteiny MeSH

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae general amino acid permease Gap1 (ScGap1) not only mediates the uptake of most amino acids but also functions as a receptor for the activation of protein kinase A (PKA). Fungal pathogens can colonize different niches in the host, each containing various levels of different amino acids and sugars. The Candida albicans genome contains six genes homologous to the S. cerevisiae GAP1. The expression of these six genes in S. cerevisiae showed that the products of all six C. albicans genes differ in their transport capacities. C. albicans Gap2 (CaGap2) is the true orthologue of ScGap1 as it transports all tested amino acids. The other CaGap proteins have narrower substrate specificities though CaGap1 and CaGap6 transport several structurally unrelated amino acids. CaGap1, CaGap2, and CaGap6 also function as sensors. Upon detecting some amino acids, e.g., methionine, they are involved in a rapid activation of trehalase, a downstream target of PKA. Our data show that CaGAP genes can be functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae and that CaGap permeases communicate to the intracellular signal transduction pathway similarly to ScGap1.

• MeSH
• Candida albicans genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• geny hub MeSH
• molekulární sekvence - údaje MeSH
• proteinkinasy závislé na cyklickém AMP metabolismus   MeSH
• regulace genové exprese u hub genetika   MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae - proteiny genetika   metabolismus   fyziologie   MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae genetika   MeSH
• sekvence nukleotidů MeSH
• transportní systémy aminokyselin genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• GAP1 protein, S cerevisiae MeSH Prohlížeč
• proteinkinasy závislé na cyklickém AMP MeSH
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae - proteiny MeSH
• transportní systémy aminokyselin MeSH