Purine base uptake in Trypanosoma cruzi: adaptations and effects of inhibitors

1. The pattern of purine base uptake in culture epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi can be predicted from cell growth rate and cell concentration, with the late log phase showing the greatest variability. 2. Uptake rates are unexpectedly low in the reproductive tissue amastigotes and high in the non-reproductive blood trypomastigotes. It is suggested that blood trypomastigotes metabolize and accumulate reserves of purine metabolites, whereas amastigotes depend on degradation of host cell RNA and nucleotides as purine sources. 3. All parasite forms salvage hypoxanthine and guanine in preference to adenine. Nifurtimox, dipyridamole and cytochalasin have no effect on uptake, whereas amphotericin B, allopurinol, xanthine and urate inhibit it. The alterations caused by urate are complex, apparently involving inhibition of the monooxypurine phosphoribosyltransferase and induction of permeation of purines into the cells.