TY - JOUR
T1 - Genetic and biochemical analysis of protozoal polyamine transporters.
AU - Hasne, Marie Pierre
AU - Ullman, Buddy
N1 - Copyright:
MEDLINE® is the source for the citation and abstract of this record.
PY - 2011
Y1 - 2011
N2 - Polyamines are aliphatic polycations that function in key cellular processes such as growth, differentiation, and macromolecular biosynthesis. Intracellular polyamines pools are maintained from de novo synthesis and from transport of polyamines from the extracellular milieu. This acquisition of exogenous polyamines is mediated by cell surface transporter proteins. Protozoan parasites are the etiologic agents of a plethora of devastating and often fatal diseases in humans and their domestic animals. These pathogens accommodate de novo and/or salvage mechanisms for polyamine acquisition. Because of its therapeutic relevance, the polyamine biosynthetic pathway has been thoroughly investigated in many genera of protozoan parasites, but the polyamine permeation pathways have generally been ignored. Our group has now identified at the molecular level polyamine transporters from two species of protozoan parasites, Leishmania major and Trypanosoma cruzi, characterized these polytopic proteins with respect to ligand specificities and affinities, and determined the subcellular environments in which these transporters reside.
AB - Polyamines are aliphatic polycations that function in key cellular processes such as growth, differentiation, and macromolecular biosynthesis. Intracellular polyamines pools are maintained from de novo synthesis and from transport of polyamines from the extracellular milieu. This acquisition of exogenous polyamines is mediated by cell surface transporter proteins. Protozoan parasites are the etiologic agents of a plethora of devastating and often fatal diseases in humans and their domestic animals. These pathogens accommodate de novo and/or salvage mechanisms for polyamine acquisition. Because of its therapeutic relevance, the polyamine biosynthetic pathway has been thoroughly investigated in many genera of protozoan parasites, but the polyamine permeation pathways have generally been ignored. Our group has now identified at the molecular level polyamine transporters from two species of protozoan parasites, Leishmania major and Trypanosoma cruzi, characterized these polytopic proteins with respect to ligand specificities and affinities, and determined the subcellular environments in which these transporters reside.
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U2 - 10.1007/978-1-61779-034-8_19
DO - 10.1007/978-1-61779-034-8_19
M3 - Article
C2 - 21318882
AN - SCOPUS:79956220791
VL - 720
SP - 309
EP - 326
JO - Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
JF - Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
SN - 1064-3745
ER -