Investigating the Kennedy Pathway: phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine synthesis in Trypanosoma cruzi.

磷脂是所有细胞膜中最丰富的脂质类。在真核生物中，磷脂酰胆碱（PC）和磷脂酰乙醇胺（PE）构成了磷脂物质的大部分。PC和PE生物合成的主要途径是Kennedy途径，其在真核生物中普遍存在并且通常是必需的。PC/PE合成在寄生原生动物中的重要性已得到充分证明，并且所涉及的酶已被证明是良好的药物靶点候选者。克氏锥虫是南美锥虫病的病原体，其脂质代谢尚不清楚。由于治疗南美锥虫病的药物数量少、过时且有毒，在疾病的慢性期疗效差，因此正在寻找新的药物靶点。该项目旨在研究克氏锥虫的肯尼迪途径，以更好地了解其脂质代谢，并推断该途径中是否需要任何酶才能生存。

Phospholipids are the most abundant lipid class in all cellular membranes. In eukaryotes, phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) constitute the majority of phospholipids species. A major route of PC and PE biosynthesis is the Kennedy pathway, which is ubiquitous and often essential in eukaryotes. The importance of PC/PE synthesis in parasitic protozoa is well demonstrated and the enzymes involved have been shown to be good drug target candidates. For Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas' disease, its lipid metabolism is poorly understood. As drugs to treat Chagas' disease are few in number, antiquated and toxic, with poor efficacy in the chronic phase of disease, new drug targets are being sought. This project aims to characterise the Kennedy pathway of Trypanosoma cruzi to better understand its lipid metabolism and to deduce if any enzymes in the pathway are required for survival.