Inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi proline racemase affects host-parasite interactions and the outcome of in vitro infection.

Abstract

Proline racemase is an important enzyme of Trypanosoma cruzi and has been shown to be an effective mitogen for B cells, thus contributing to the parasite's immune evasion and persistence in the human host. Recombinant epimastigote parasites overexpressing TcPRAC genes coding for proline racemase present an augmented ability to differentiate into metacyclic infective forms and subsequently penetrate host-cells in vitro. Here we demonstrate that both anti T. cruzi proline racemase antibodies and the specific proline racemase inhibitor pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid significantly affect parasite infection of Vero cells in vitro. This inhibitor also hampers T. cruzi intracellular differentiation.

• Authors: Leticia Coutinho, Marcelo Alves Ferreira, Alain Cosson, Marcos Meuser Batista, Denise da Gama Jaén Batista, Paola Minoprio, Wim M Degrave, Armand Berneman, Maria de Nazaré Correia Soeiro
• Journal: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz) Vol. 104 Issue 8 Pg. 1055-62 (Dec 2009) ISSN: 1678-8060 [Electronic] Brazil
• PMID: 20140365 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Enzyme Inhibitors
• 2-pyrrolecarboxylic acid
• Proline
• Amino Acid Isomerases
• proline racemase

Topics

• Amino Acid Isomerases (antagonists & inhibitors)
• Animals
• Chlorocebus aethiops
• Enzyme Inhibitors (pharmacology)
• Host-Parasite Interactions (physiology)
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
• Proline (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology)
• Trypanosoma cruzi (enzymology, physiology, ultrastructure)
• Vero Cells