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Identification and characterization of a new Leishmania major specific 3'nucleotidase/nuclease protein.

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Lakhal-Naouar, Inès | Chenik, Yosser | Boublik, Yvan | Meddeb, Mounira | Aamouri, Ahlem | Fattoum, Abdellatif | Louzir, Hechmi | Chenik, Mehdi

Edité par CCSD ; Elsevier -

International audience. We report the characterization of a new Leishmania major gene, lmaj3'nt/nu, encoding a 382 amino acids protein, Lmaj3'NT/NU, that belongs to the 3'nucleotidase/nuclease family. Interestingly, sequence and phylogenetic analysis show that this protein is Leishmania major specific and thus constitutes a new 3'nucleotidase/nuclease subgroup. Lmaj3'NT/NU displays nuclease enzymatic activity and Western blot analysis shows that it is exclusively expressed in promastigotes. Immunofluorescence microscopy using a specific anti-Lmaj3'NT/NU shows that the protein has a plasma membrane localization. Surprisingly, contrary to the previously described Leishmania mexicana 3'NT/NU, lmaj3'nt/nu is not up-regulated when parasites are cultured under purine starvation conditions. Together, these findings suggest Lmaj3'NT/NU may constitute a new important compound of the L. major purine scavenging pathway and could be involved in sandfly parasite survival and colonization.

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