Entamoeba histolytica secretes two haem-binding proteins to scavenge haem.

Entamoeba histolytica is a human pathogen which can grow using different sources of iron such as free iron, lactoferrin, transferrin, ferritin or haemoglobin. In the present study, we found that E. histolytica was also capable of supporting its growth in the presence of haem as the sole iron supply. In addition, when trophozoites were maintained in cultures supplemented with haemoglobin as the only iron source, the haem was released and thus it was introduced into cells. Interestingly, the Ehhmbp26 and Ehhmbp45 proteins could be related to the mechanism of iron acquisition in this protozoan, since they were secreted to the medium under iron-starvation conditions, and presented higher binding affinity for haem than for haemoglobin. In addition, both proteins were unable to bind free iron or transferrin in the presence of haem. Taken together, our results suggest that Ehhmbp26 and Ehhmbp45 could function as haemophores, secreted by this parasite to facilitate the scavenging of haem from the host environment during the infective process.

Entamoeba histolytica: a unicellular organism containing two active genes encoding for members of the TBP family.

Entamoeba histolytica is the protozoan parasite which causes human amoebiasis. In this parasite, few encoding genes for transcription factors have been cloned and characterized. The E. histolytica TATA-box binding protein (EhTBP) is the first basal transcription factor that has been studied. To continue with the identification of other members of the basal transcription machinery, we performed an in silico analysis of the E. histolytica genome and found three loci encoding for polypeptides with similarity to EhTBP. One locus has a 100% identity to the previously Ehtbp gene reported by our group. The second locus encodes for a 212 aa polypeptide that is 100% identical to residues 23-234 from EhTBP. The third one encodes for a 216 aa polypeptide of 24kDa that showed 42.6% identity and 73.7% similarity to EhTBP. This protein was named E. histolytica TBP-related factor 1 (EhTRF1). Ehtrf1 gene was expressed in bacteria and the purified 28kDa recombinant polypeptide showed the capacity to bind to TATTTAAA-box by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. K(D) values for rEhTBP and rEhTRF1 were (1.71+/-2.90)x10(-12)M and (1.12+/-0.160)x10(-11)M, respectively. Homology modeling of EhTRF1 and EhTBP revealed that, although they were very similar, they showed some differences on their surfaces. Thus, E. histolytica is a unicellular organism having two members of the TBP family.

Ehhmbp45 is a novel hemoglobin-binding protein identified in Entamoeba histolytica.

Hemoglobin-binding proteins are necessary for pathogens to obtain iron from Hb. Entamoeba histolytica can grow using Hb as source of iron, but the underlying mechanism has not previously been established. In this work, we identified a 45 kDa Hb-binding protein of E. histolytica, which we named Ehhmbp45. In silico analysis showed that Ehhmbp45 contains the conserved domains needed for Hb-binding, while overlay assays demonstrated that Ehhmbp45 is able to bind Hb. In addition, we found that Ehhmbp45 mRNA levels were up-regulated under iron starvation conditions and were subsequently restored to basal levels when Hb was added to the cell cultures. These findings provide the first insights on the role of Ehhmbp45 in iron acquisition from Hb.

Entamoeba histolytica TATA-box binding protein binds to different TATA variants in vitro.

The ability of Entamoeba histolytica TATA binding protein (EhTBP) to interact with different TATA boxes in gene promoters may be one of the key factors to perform an efficient transcription in this human parasite. In this paper we used several TATA variants to study the in vitro EhTBP DNA-binding activity and to determine the TATA-EhTBP dissociation constants. The presence of EhTBP in complexes formed by nuclear extracts (NE) and the TATTTAAA oligonucleotide, which corresponds to the canonical TATA box for E. histolytica, was demonstrated by gel-shift assays. In these experiments a single NE-TATTTAAA oligonucleotide complex was detected. Complex was retarded by anti-EhTBP Igs in supershift experiments and antibodies also recognized the cross-linked complex in Western blot assays. Recombinant EhTBP formed specific complexes with TATA variants found in E. histolytica gene promoters and other TATA variants generated by mutation of TATTTAAA sequence. The dissociation constants of recombinant EhTBP for TATA variants ranged between 1.04 (+/-0.39) x 10(-11) and 1.60 (+/-0.37) x 10(-10) m. TATTTAAA and TAT_ _AAA motifs presented the lowest KD values. Intriguingly, the recombinant EhTBP affinity for TATA variants is stronger than other TBPs reported. In addition, EhTBP is more promiscuous than human and yeast TBPs, probably due to modifications in amino acids involved in TBP-DNA binding.

The pair of arginine codons AGA AGG close to the initiation codon of the lambda int gene inhibits cell growth and protein synthesis by accumulating peptidyl-tRNAArg4.

To analyse the mechanism by which rare codons near the initiation codon inhibit cell growth and protein synthesis, we used the bacteriophage lambda int gene or early codon substitution derivatives. The lambda int gene has a high frequency of rare ATA, AGA and AGG codons; two of them (AGA AGG) located at positions 3 and 4 of the int open reading frame (ORF). Escherichia coli pth (rap) cells, which are defective in peptidyl-tRNA hydrolase (Pth) activity, are more susceptible to the inhibitory effects of int expression as compared with wild-type cells. Cell growth and Int protein synthesis were enhanced by overexpression of Pth and tRNAArg4 cognate to AGG and AGA but not of tRNAIle2a specific for ATA. The increase of Int protein synthesis also takes place when the rare arginine codons AGA and AGG at positions 3 and 4 are changed to common arginine CGT or lysine AAA codons but not to rare isoleucine ATA codons. In addition, overexpression of int in Pth defective cells provokes accumulation of peptidyl-tRNAArg4 in the soluble fraction. Therefore, cell growth and Int synthesis inhibition may be due to ribosome stalling and premature release of peptidyl-tRNAArg4 from the ribosome at the rare arginine codons of the first tandem, which leads to cell starvation for the specific tRNA.