An enigmatic catalase of Blastocrithidia

Publication date: Available online 2 July 2019Source: Molecular and Biochemical ParasitologyAuthor(s): Claretta Bianchi, Alexei Yu. Kostygov, Natalya Kraeva, Kristína Záhonová, Eva Horáková, Roman Sobotka, Julius Lukeš, Vyacheslav YurchenkoAbstractHere we report that trypanosomatid flagellates of the genus Blastocrithidia possess catalase. This enzyme is not phylogenetically related to the previously characterized catalases in other monoxenous trypanosomatids, suggesting that their genes have been acquired independently. Surprisingly, Blastocrithidia catalase is less enzymatically active, compared to its counterpart from Leptomonas pyrrhocoris, posing an intriguing biological question why this gene has been retained in the evolution of trypanosomatids.
Source: Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology - Category: Parasitology Source Type: research