Biossíntese de vitamina E nos estágios intraeritrocitários de P. falciparum. / Vitamin E biosynthesis in intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum.

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

IBICT - Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

15/02/2011

RESUMO

The study of isoprenoid biosynthesis in Plasmodium falciparum by 2C-methyl-D-erythritol-4-phosphate pathway (MEP) it is presented as a therapeutic target once that it is absent in humans. It was found in intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum the biosynthesis of isoprenoids by the MEP pathway. The shikimate and MEP pathways are the precursors of biosynthesis of vitamin E and both pathways have already been described in P. falciparum. It is suggested that the biosynthesis of vitamin E might occur in the parasite, representing a possible target for developing new antimalarial drugs. Using metabolic labelling with radiolabelled precursors, three different methods of RP-HPLC and mass spectrometry analyses confirmed the biosynthesis of vitamin E in the three intraerythrocytic stages of parasite. The treatment with usnic acid showed an inhibition of this biosynthesis and of the growth of parasite. We demonstrated by means of a fluorescent probe, the acid Parinaric, that vitamin E acts as a lipophilic antioxidant protecting the membrane of lipoperoxidation. These findings not only contribute to the current understanding of P. falciparum biology but shed light on a pathway that could serve as a chemotherapeutic target.

ASSUNTO(S)

malária mass spectrometry vitamin e vitamina e plasmodium plasmodium antimalarials antimaláricos espectrometria de massas malaria

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