Functions and cellular localization of cysteine desulfurase and selenocysteine lyase in Trypanosoma brucei

0342953 - BC 2011 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Poliak, Pavel - Van Hoewyk, D. - Oborník, Miroslav - Zíková, Alena - Stuart, K. D. - Tachezy, J. - Pilon, M. - Lukeš, Julius
Functions and cellular localization of cysteine desulfurase and selenocysteine lyase in Trypanosoma brucei.
FEBS Journal. Roč. 277, č. 2 (2010), s. 383-393. ISSN 1742-464X. E-ISSN 1742-4658
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/09/1667
Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60220518
Keywords : Fe–S cluster * mitochondrion * RNAi * selenoprotein * Trypanosoma
Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology
Impact factor: 3.129, year: 2010

It was shown previously that the Nfs-like protein called Nfs from the parasitic protist Trypanosoma brucei is a genuine CysD. A second Nfs-like protein is encoded in the nuclear genome of T. brucei. We called this protein selenocysteine lyase (SCL) because phylogenetic analysis reveals that it is monophyletic with known eukaryotic selenocysteine lyases. The Nfs protein is located in the mitochondrion, whereas the SCL protein seems to be present in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Unexpectedly, downregulation of either Nfs or SCL protein leads to a dramatic decrease in both CysD and selenocysteine lyase activities concurrently in the mitochondrion and the cytosolic fractions. Because loss of Nfs causes a growth phenotype but loss of SCL does not, we propose that Nfs can fully complement SCL, whereas SCL can only partially replace Nfs under our growth conditions.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0185552