Reprogramming of Trypanosoma cruzi metabolism triggered by parasite interaction with the host cell extracellular matrix

摘要

Author summary Adhesion of Trypanosoma cruzi to distinct elements of ECM involving different surface proteins from the infective stage of the parasite has been described. Despite the relevance of ECM for T. cruzi infection, the signaling pathways triggered in trypomastigotes upon interactions with ECM are less well understood. In previous work we demonstrated the dephosphorylation of proteins, such as -tubulin, paraflagellar rod proteins and ERK 1/2 in trypomastigotes incubated with either laminin or fibronectin. Further, we described changes in the S-nitrosylation and nitration pattern of proteins from trypomastigote incubated with ECM. To expand our knowledge on ECM triggered parasite signaling we applied quantitative proteomic and phosphoproteomic studies to trypomastigotes incubated with ECM (MTy) compared to controls (Ty). Our results indicate relevant changes in total protein and phosphoprotein profiles in MTy. The kinases implicated in the modifications were suggested by bioinformatic analyses, as well as the number of modifications and the frequency of amino acids per peptide that have been modified. Proteins involved in metabolic processes, including enzymes from the glycolytic pathway, phosphatases and kinases were the most representative groups among the proteins modified by phosphorylation. Quantification of metabolites in MTy and Ty also indicated that glucose metabolism is impaired in trypomastigotes incubated with ECM. The significant inhibition of hexokinase, pyruvate kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities in MTy associated with phosphorylation levels, strongly suggests that trypomastigotes reprogram their metabolism in response to interaction with the extracellular matrix, an obligatory step prior to host cell invasion.