Lipid metabolism: the potential targets for toxoplasmosis treatment

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii). The current treatment for toxoplasmosis remains constrained due to the absence of pharmaceutical interventions. Thus, the pursuit of more efficient targets is of great importance. Lipid metabolism in T. gondii, including fatty acid metabolism, phospholipid metabolism, and neutral lipid metabolism, assumes a crucial function in T. gondii because those pathways are largely involved in the formation of the membranous structure and cellular processes such as division, invasion, egress, replication, and apoptosis. The inhibitors of T. gondii's lipid metabolism can directly lead to the disturbance of various lipid component levels and serious destruction of membrane structure, ultimately leading to the death of the parasites. In this review, the specific lipid metabolism pathways, correlative enzymes, and inhibitors of lipid metabolism of T. gondii are elaborated in detail to generate novel ideas for the development of anti-T. gondii drugs that target the parasites' lipid metabolism.

Keywords: Toxoplasma gondii; Cholesterol; Fatty acids; Lipid metabolism; Phospholipids; Toxoplasmosis.

Fig. 1

Fatty acid metabolism progress in T. gondii

Fig. 2

Glycerophospholipid synthesis pathway in T. gondii

Fig. 3

Overview of cholesterol scavenging and metabolism pathway in T. gondii

Fig. 4

The relationship between fatty acid, phospholipid and cholesterol metabolism