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Updated: Dec 28, 2025

Isolation of F1-ATPase from the Parasitic Protist Trypanosoma brucei
Published on: January 22, 2019
Structural and kinetic characterization of Trypanosoma congolense pyruvate kinase
Joar Esteban Pinto Torres1, Meng Yuan2, Julie Goossens1
1Research Unit for Cellular and Molecular Immunology (CMIM), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
Trypanosoma are blood-borne parasites and are the causative agents of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) affecting both humans and animals. These parasites mainly rely on glycolysis for their energy production within the mammalian host, which is why trypanosomal glycolytic enzymes have been pursued as interesting targets for the development of trypanocidal drugs. The structure-function relationships of pyruvate kinases (PYKs) from trypanosomatids (Trypanosoma and Leishmania) have been well-studied within this context. In this paper, we describe the structural and enzymatic characterization of PYK from T. congolense (TcoPYK), the main causative agent of Animal African Trypanosomosis (AAT), by employing a combination of enzymatic assays, thermal unfolding studies and X-ray crystallography.
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