Cloning, sequencing and functional expression of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase from the human pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi

This work presents the complete sequences of a cDNA and the two allelic genes of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (LipDH) from Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas' disease (American trypanosomiasis). The full-length cDNA has an ORF of 1431 bp and encodes a protein of 477 amino acid residues. LipDH is a homodimeric protein with FAD as prosthetic group. The calculated molecular mass of the subunit of the mature protein with bound FAD is 50066. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence of LipDH from T. cruzi with that of Trypanosoma brucei and man shows identities of 81% and 50%, respectively. An N-terminal nonapeptide, not present in the mature enzyme, represents a mitochondrial targeting sequence so far found only in trypanosomatids. The gene lpdl of T. cruzi LipDH was expressed without the targeting sequence in Escherichia coli JRG1342 cells which are deficient for LipDH. For this purpose an ATG codon was introduced directly upstream the codon for Asn10 which represents the N-terminus of the mature protein. This system allowed the synthesis of 1000 U T. cruzi LipDH/l bacterial cell culture. The recombinant protein was purified to homogeneity by (NH4)(2)SO4-precipitation and affinity chromatography on 5' AMP-Sepharose. The K-m values for NAD(+), NADH, lipoamide and dihydrolipoamide are identical with those of the enzyme isolated from the parasite. LipDH is present in all major developmental stages of T. cruzi as shown by northern and western blot analyses. This finding is in agreement with the citric acid cycle being active throughout the whole life cycle of the parasite. In vitro studies on a mammalian LipDH revealed the ability of the flavoenzyme to catalyze the redoxcycling and superoxide anion production of nitrofuran derivatives including the antitrypanosomal drug Nifurtimox. For that reason T. cruzi LipDH is regarded as a promising target for the structure-based development of new antiparasitic drugs. The bacterial expression system for the parasite enzyme will now allow the study of the role of T. cruzi LipDH in drug activation and the crystallization of the protein.