Resumo

BALLESTEROS-RODEA, Gilberto et al. The alternative products of Trypanosoma cruzi LYT1 have different localization patterns. Vet. Méx [online]. 2012, vol.43, n.1, pp.29-43. ISSN 0301-5092.

LYT1 is a molecule with lytic activity under acidic conditions that, as genetically demonstrated, participates in the infection and stage transition of T. cruzi. The differing functions of this protein result from alternative trans-splicing, resulting in proteins that contain either a secretion and nuclear sequence (LYT1s) or the nuclear sequence alone (LYT1n). To determine the localization of different LYT1 products, transgenic parasites expressing LYT1s or LYT1n fused to the enhanced green fluorescence sequence were analyzed. LYT1s-EGFP localized to the flagellum, vacuoles, membrane and regions of the nucleus and kinetoplast; LYT1n-EGFP localized to the nucleus and kinetoplast, and occasionally in vacuoles. These results show that even though different LYT1 products localize to the same sites, they are also found in different intracellular organelles and microenvironments, which could influence their multifunctional behavior.

Palavras-chave : flagellum; transfection; parasites; infectivity; alternative trans-splicing.