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Using Fluorescent Proteins to Monitor Glycosome Dynamics in the African Trypanosome
Published on: August 19, 2014
Lipid metabolism in Trypanosoma brucei
Terry K Smith1, Peter Bütikofer
1Centre for Biomolecular Sciences, The North Haugh, The University, St. Andrews, Scotland KY16 9ST, UK. tks1@st-andrews.ac.uk <tks1@st-andrews.ac.uk>
None:
Trypanosoma brucei membranes consist of all major eukaryotic glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid classes. These are de novo synthesized from precursors obtained either from the host or from catabolised endocytosed lipids. In recent years, substantial progress has been made in the molecular and biochemical characterisation of several of these lipid biosynthetic pathways, using gene knockout or RNA interference strategies or by enzymatic characterization of individual reactions. Together with the completed genome, these studies have highlighted several possible differences between mammalian and trypanosome lipid biosynthesis that could be exploited for the development of drugs against the diseases caused by these parasites.
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