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Transferrin uptake in Trypanosoma cruzi is impaired by interference on cytostome-associated cytoskeleton elements and stability of membrane cholesterol, but not by obstruction of clathrin-dependent endocytosis.

Corrêa JR, Atella GC, Batista MM, Soares MJ

Laboratório de Ultra-estrutura Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ, 21045-900 Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

Transferrin uptake by Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes occurs mainly through the cytostome/cytopharynx. Here, we present evidences for the association of sterol-rich membrane domains with the transferrin endocytic site. Assays using pharmacological treatments to disrupt clathrin-coated pits and hinder caveolae formation showed no association between transferrin uptake and clathrin-dependent endocytosis, but indicated that cholesterol stability in membrane domains is essential for the endocytosis of transferrin. Furthermore, it was observed a connection between the integrity of cytoskeleton elements at the cytopharynx and the function of the cytostome. Our data show that T. cruzi epimastigotes depend on a specialized pathway for transferrin uptake, which is cholesterol-dependent, clathrin-independent, and closely associated with the structural stability of the cytostome/cytopharynx cytoskeleton.

Published 8 April 2008 in Exp Parasitol, 119(1): 58-66.
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