The branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) modulate the development of the intra-cellular stages of Trypanosoma cruzi

In this study, we investigated further the role of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) as negative modulators of parasite differentiation and infection capability in vitro. We found that BCAAs can down-regulate metacyclogenesis, inhibiting Pro-dependent differentiation. Furthermore, we evaluated the ability of all three BCAAs to influence the differentiation of intracellular stages and found that they could modulate the release of trypomastigotes from infected host cells. These findings suggest that BCAAs may have an important role in the complex life cycle of T. cruzi. Thus, enzymes of their metabolism and other interacting proteins could be potential targets for the development of new therapeutic strategies for Chagas disease.PMID:37939824 | DOI:10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108642

Source: Experimental Parasitology - November 8, 2023 Category: Parasitology Authors: L N Rapado J F Nascimento N C Manchola F S Damasceno R W Achjian A M Silber Source Type: research