Patricia del Arenal, M.Sc.
darenal@servidor.unam.mx
Respiratory system of Taenia crassiceps
OBJECTIVES
- To identify the pathways that participate in the aerobe metabolism of the
Taenia crassiceps cysticercus.
- To identify the alternate pathways of aerobe metabolism of the Taenia crassiceps
cysticercus.
- To corroborate the presence of cytochrome "o" and define its participation
as alternate terminal oxidase.
- To define the bifurcation sites of the alternate pathways.
- To identify the type(s) of quinone that form(s) part of the respiratory
chain of this organism.
SUMMARY
Taenia crassiceps is a cestode which, in its adult form, is a parasite of the
red fox and, in its larva form, of wild rodents. During its life cycle, this
organism has to adapt itself to media with different O2 pressures, to which
end it has a metabolism that can act in an aerobe and anaerobe way.
Based on studies with inhibitors, we have found the presence of alternate pathways
in the electron transportation chain in the cysticercus of this Taenia. We propose
at least two alternate chains in which an "o" type cytochrome oxidase
in addition to the cytochrome oxidase a/a3 and a dehydrogenase NADH resistant
to retenone would seem to be involved.
The participation and regulation of these components will allow us to determine,
on the one hand, the adaptation capacity of this organism to different media
and, on the other, the pathways it does not share with the host and that could
be the target of some drug.
PARTICIPANTS
Dr. José E. Escamilla Marván
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- 1. Escamilla, J.E., Barquera, B., Ramírez, R., García-Horsman and Arenal del. I. P. ( 1988).
Role of menaquinone in inactivation and activation of the Bacillus cereus forespore
respiratory system. J. Bact. 170:5908-5912.
- 2. Del Arenal Mena I.P. (1995) Metabolismo energético en helmintos parásitos.
Mensaje Bioquímico vol. XIX (Martínez, M. Eds) Fac. de Medicina, UNAM,
Mexico City. 119-134.
- 3. Del Arenal Mena I.P. and Escamilla M.J.E. (In press) Taenia crassiceps:
Respiratory pathways in the cysticerci.
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