Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a potentially life-threatening illness caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, and is transmitted by triatomine insects during its blood meal. Proliferative epimastigotes forms thrive inside the insects in the presence of heme (iron protoporphyrin IX), an abundant product of blood digestion, however little is known about the metabolic outcome of this signaling molecule in the parasite. Trypanosomatids exhibit unusual gene transcription employing a polycistronic transcription mechanism through trans-splicing that regulates its life cycle. Using the Deep Seq transcriptome sequencing we characterized the heme induced transcriptome of epimastigotes and determined that most of the upregulated genes were related to glucose metabolism inside the glycosomes. These results were supported by the upregulation of glycosomal isoforms of PEPCK and fumarate reductase of heme-treated parasites, implying that the fermentation process was favored. Moreover, the downregulation of mitochondrial gene enzymes in the presence of heme also supported the hypothesis that heme shifts the parasite glycosomal glucose metabolism towards aerobic fermentation. These results are examples of the environmental metabolic plasticity inside the vector supporting ATP production, promoting epimastigotes proliferation and survival.

中文翻译：

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在血红素存在的情况下，克氏锥虫的基因表达谱表明载体内表鞭毛的糖体代谢适应。

南美锥虫病，也称为美洲锥虫病，是一种由原生动物寄生虫克氏锥虫引起的潜在危及生命的疾病，并在其血食过程中由三角蠹昆虫传播。在血红素（铁原卟啉 IX）存在的情况下，增殖的上鞭毛体在昆虫体内茁壮成长，血红素是一种丰富的血液消化产物，但对这种信号分子在寄生虫中的代谢结果知之甚少。锥虫通过调节其生命周期的反式剪接表现出不寻常的基因转录，采用多顺反子转录机制。使用 Deep Seq 转录组测序，我们表征了血红素诱导的上鞭毛体转录组，并确定大多数上调的基因与糖体内的葡萄糖代谢有关。这些结果得到了 PEPCK 糖体同工型和血红素处理寄生虫富马酸还原酶上调的支持，这意味着发酵过程是有利的。此外，在血红素存在下线粒体基因酶的下调也支持了血红素将寄生虫糖体葡萄糖代谢转向有氧发酵的假设。这些结果是支持 ATP 产生、促进上鞭毛体增殖和存活的载体内部环境代谢可塑性的例子。在血红素存在下线粒体基因酶的下调也支持了血红素将寄生虫糖体葡萄糖代谢转向有氧发酵的假设。这些结果是支持 ATP 产生、促进上鞭毛体增殖和存活的载体内部环境代谢可塑性的例子。在血红素存在下线粒体基因酶的下调也支持了血红素将寄生虫糖体葡萄糖代谢转向有氧发酵的假设。这些结果是支持 ATP 产生、促进上鞭毛体增殖和存活的载体内部环境代谢可塑性的例子。