Aerobic fermentation of glucose by trypanosomatids

Abstract

The consumption of glucose by trypanosomatid protozoa such as Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania spp., and Crithidia spp. is characterized by the excretion of reduced products such as succinate, pyruvate, ethanol, L-alanine, or lactate (depending on the species) not only in anaerobiosis, but also under aerobic conditions. The "aerobic fermentation" of glucose is accompanied by a complete lack, or even a reversal, of the Pasteur effect. This peculiar catabolism is mediated by a so-far unique compartmentation of the glycolytic enzymes, most of which are placed in an organelle called the glycosome; by an almost complete lack of inhibitory controls at the level of hexokinase and phosphofructokinase; and by a central role of CO2 fixation through the reaction catalyzed by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase. The production of fermentative products seems to be due to a relative inefficiency of the respiratory chain, which lacks NADH dehydrogenase and the first phosphorylation site and preferentially uses succinate as substrate.