Lipid droplets of protozoan parasites: survival and pathogenicity.
Victor de Souza TavaresMonara Viera de CastroRayane da Silva Oliveira SouzaIana Kátia Araújo GonçalvesJonilson Berlink LimaValéria de Matos BorgesThéo Araujo-SantosPublished in: Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (2022)
Lipid droplets (LDs; lipid bodies) are intracellular sites of lipid storage and metabolism present in all cell types. Eukaryotic LDs are involved in eicosanoid production during several inflammatory conditions, including infection by protozoan parasites. In parasites, LDs play a role in the acquisition of cholesterol and other neutral lipids from the host. The number of LDs increases during parasite differentiation, and the biogenesis of these organelles use specific signaling pathways involving protein kinases. In addition, LDs are important in cellular protection against lipotoxicity. Recently, these organelles have been implicated in eicosanoid and specialised lipid metabolism. In this article, we revise the main functions of protozoan parasite LDs and discuss future directions in the comprehension of these organelles in the context of pathogen virulence.
Keyphrases
- plasmodium falciparum
- fatty acid
- signaling pathway
- escherichia coli
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- staphylococcus aureus
- single cell
- toxoplasma gondii
- epithelial mesenchymal transition
- reactive oxygen species
- trypanosoma cruzi
- cystic fibrosis
- bone marrow
- current status
- binding protein
- low density lipoprotein
- amino acid
- endoplasmic reticulum stress
- life cycle