Abstract

DIGIROLAMO, Fabio A. et al. The mammalian TOR pathway is present in Trypanosoma cruzi: In silico reconstruction and possible functions. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2012, vol.72, n.3, pp.221-226. ISSN 0025-7680.

The mammalian TOR pathway ("Target Of Rapamycin") is a regulatory protein network involved in a wide range of processes including cell growth and differentiation, providing a functional switch between anabolic and catabolic cell metabolism. Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, has a complex life cycle with different morphological stages in various hosts. This life cycle implies that parasites have to deal with fluctuations in the extracellular medium that should be detected and counteracted adapting their metabolism. A candidate to be the mediator between the receptors / sensors of the environment and cellular adaptive response is the TOR pathway. In this paper we integrate the bibliographic data of the TOR pathway in trypanosomatids by in silico analysis (computer simulation of biological structures and processes) of the parasite's genome. Possible effectors and processes regulated by this metabolic pathway are also proposed. Given that the information on the mechanisms of signal transduction in trypanosomatids is scarce, we consider the model presented in this work may be a reference for future experimental work.

Keywords : Trypanosoma cruzi; Chagas disease; mTOR; Signal transduction.

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