Overproduction of highly active trypanosome alternative oxidase in Escherichia coli heme-deficient mutant.

Abstract

Cyanide-insensitive trypanosome alternative oxidase (TAO) is the terminal oxidase of the respiratory chain of long slender bloodstream forms of the African trypanosome, which causes sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. TAO has been targeted for the development of anti-trypanosomal drugs, because it does not exist in the host. In this study, we established a system for overproduction of highly active TAO in Eschericia coli heme-deficient mutant. Kinetic analysis of recombinant enzyme and TAO in Trypanosoma brucei brucei mitochondria revealed that recombinant TAO retains the properties of native enzyme, indicating that recombinant TAO is quite valuable for further biochemical study of TAO.

• Authors: Yoshihisa Fukai, Coichi Nihei, Keisuke Kawai, Yoshisada Yabu, Takasi Suzuki, Nobuo Ohta, Nobuko Minagawa, Kazuo Nagai, Kiyoshi Kita
• Journal: Parasitology international (Parasitol Int) Vol. 52 Issue 3 Pg. 237-41 (Sep 2003) ISSN: 1383-5769 [Print] Netherlands
• PMID: 14550479 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Mitochondrial Proteins
• Plant Proteins
• Sesquiterpenes
• Heme
• Oxidoreductases
• alternative oxidase
• ascofuranone

Topics

• Animals
• Escherichia coli (enzymology, genetics)
• Heme (deficiency)
• Mitochondria (enzymology)
• Mitochondrial Proteins
• Mutation
• Oxidoreductases (genetics, metabolism)
• Plant Proteins
• Sesquiterpenes (pharmacology)
• Trypanosoma brucei brucei (enzymology, genetics)