Molecular Microbiology
Molecular Microbiology
5 years ago

The inositol pyrophosphate synthesis pathway in Trypanosoma brucei is linked to polyphosphate synthesis in acidocalcisomes

The inositol pyrophosphate synthesis pathway in Trypanosoma brucei is linked to polyphosphate synthesis in acidocalcisomes
Roberto Docampo, Adolfo Saiardi, Ciro D. Cordeiro
Inositol pyrophosphates are novel signaling molecules possessing high-energy pyrophosphate bonds and involved in a number of biological functions. Here, we report the correct identification and characterization of the kinases involved in the inositol pyrophosphate biosynthetic pathway in Trypanosoma brucei: inositol polyphosphate multikinase (TbIPMK), inositol pentakisphosphate 2-kinase (TbIP5K) and inositol hexakisphosphate kinase (TbIP6K). TbIP5K and TbIP6K were not identifiable by sequence alone and their activities were validated by enzymatic assays with the recombinant proteins or by their complementation of yeast mutants. We also analyzed T. brucei extracts for the presence of inositol phosphates using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and high-performance liquid chromatography. Interestingly, we could detect inositol phosphate (IP), inositol 4,5-bisphosphate (IP2), inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3), and inositol hexakisphosphate (IP6) in T. brucei different stages. Bloodstream forms unable to produce inositol pyrophosphates, due to downregulation of TbIPMK expression by conditional knockout, have reduced levels of polyphosphate and altered acidocalcisomes. Our study links the inositol pyrophosphate pathway to the synthesis of polyphosphate in acidocalcisomes, and may lead to better understanding of these organisms and provide new targets for drug discovery. We report the correct identification and characterization of the kinases involved in the inositol pyrophosphate biosynthetic pathway in Trypanosoma brucei and identified the substrates and products of these reactions. We provide functional evidence of their activity by complementation of yeast mutants, and we establish the relevance of this pathway for acidocalcisome polyphosphate synthesis in trypanosomes.

Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/resolve/doi

DOI: 10.1111/mmi.13766

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