Metabolism of phospholipids and lysophospholipids by Trypanosoma brucei

African trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei brucei) rapidly metabolize exogenous 1-acyl-lysophospholipids by at least two routes: (1) hydrolysis by a phospholipase A1; (2) acylation by an acyl-CoA-dependent acyltransferase. In contrast to lysophospholipids, exogenous phospholipids are not rapidly metabolized by T. brucei. The acyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.23) converts exogenous 1-acyl lysophosphatidylcholine and exogenous acyl-CoA to phosphatidylcholine and CoA-SH. It is a membrane-bound enzyme and shows maximal activity within the first 2 min of exposure of trypanosomes to the exogenous substrates. The acyltransferase specificity for lysophospholipids is lysophosphatidylcholine greater than lysophosphatidylinositol greater than lysophosphatidylethanolamine greater than lysophosphatidate. Phosphatidylcholine enhances the enzyme activity towards lysophosphatidylethanolamine and lysophosphatidic acid. The preference for CoA acyl thioesters is oleoyl greater than palmitoyl greater than myristoyl greater than stearoyl greater than arachidonoyl, and this specificity distinguishes the protozoan enzyme from those of cells of mammalian hosts, which are specific for arachidonoyl-CoA. When the acyltransferase converts exogenous lysophosphatidylethanolamine to phosphatidylethanolamine, the latter is rapidly methylated to form dimethylphosphatidylethanolamine. There is also rapid hydrolysis of exogenous oleoyl-CoA by a thioester hydrolase in living trypanosomes, to yield free oleate and CoA-SH.