Abstract

PEREIRA, Claudio A. et al. Trypanosoma cruzi: Transport of essential metabolites acquired from the host. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2008, vol.68, n.5, pp.398-404. ISSN 0025-7680.

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, a disease endemic not only in Argentina but also in all of Latinamerica. T. cruzi presents several metabolic characteristics which are completely absent in its insect vectors and in mammalian hosts. Some of these differences were acquired after millions of years of adaptation to parasitism, during which this protozoan replaced many biosynthetic routes for transport systems. In the present review, we describe the advances in the knowledge of T. cruzi transport processes and the molecules involved. In particular, we focus on aminoacid and polyamine transporters from the AAAP family (Amino Acid/Auxin Permeases), because they seem to be exclusive transporters from trypanosomatids. Taking into account that these permeases are completely absent in mammals, they could be considered as a potential target against Trypanosoma cruzi.

Keywords : Trypanosoma cruzi; Chagas disease; Aminoacids; Polyamines; Transporters; Permeases.

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