Anaerobic peroxisomes in Entamoeba histolytica metabolize myo-inositol

PLoS Pathog. 2021 Nov 15;17(11):e1010041. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010041. eCollection 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Entamoeba histolytica is believed to be devoid of peroxisomes, like most anaerobic protists. In this work, we provided the first evidence that peroxisomes are present in E. histolytica, although only seven proteins responsible for peroxisome biogenesis (peroxins) were identified (Pex1, Pex6, Pex5, Pex11, Pex14, Pex16, and Pex19). Targeting matrix proteins to peroxisomes is reduced to the PTS1-dependent pathway mediated via the soluble Pex5 receptor, while the PTS2 receptor Pex7 is absent. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that peroxisomal markers (Pex5, Pex14, Pex16, Pex19) are present in vesicles distinct from mitosomes, the endoplasmic reticulum, and the endosome/phagosome system, except Pex11, which has dual localization in peroxisomes and mitosomes. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that Pex14 localized to vesicles of approximately 90-100 nm in diameter. Proteomic analyses of affinity-purified peroxisomes and in silico PTS1 predictions provided datasets of 655 and 56 peroxisomal candidates, respectively; however, only six proteins were shared by both datasets, including myo-inositol dehydrogenase (myo-IDH). Peroxisomal NAD-dependent myo-IDH appeared to be a dimeric enzyme with high affinity to myo-inositol (Km 0.044 mM) and can utilize also scyllo-inositol, D-glucose and D-xylose as substrates. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that orthologs of myo-IDH with PTS1 are present in E. dispar, E. nutalli and E. moshkovskii but not in E. invadens, and form a monophyletic clade of mostly peroxisomal orthologs with free-living Mastigamoeba balamuthi and Pelomyxa schiedti. The presence of peroxisomes in E. histolytica and other archamoebae breaks the paradigm of peroxisome absence in anaerobes and provides a new potential target for the development of antiparasitic drugs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anaerobiosis
  • Entamoeba histolytica / metabolism*
  • Inositol / metabolism*
  • Mutation*
  • Peroxins / metabolism
  • Peroxisomal Targeting Signals*
  • Peroxisomes / metabolism*
  • Phylogeny
  • Protozoan Proteins / genetics
  • Protozoan Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Peroxins
  • Peroxisomal Targeting Signals
  • Protozoan Proteins
  • Inositol

Grants and funding

This study was funded by Czech Science Foundation (P305/11/1061), https://gacr.cz, European Regional Development Funds (CePaViP (CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/16_019/0000759), https://www.msmt.cz/, University Research Centre of Charles University (UNCE, SCI/12), https://cuni.cz/UKEN-65.html, H2020 Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation MICOBION (H2020 No 810224) https://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/spreading-excellence-and-widening-participation to JT, Jürgen Manchot Stiftung, https://www.im.nrw/juergen-manchot-stiftung to CK. Imaging Methods Core Facility at BIOCEV, and the Core Facility of the Institute of Parasitology and Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences were both supported by the MEYS CR (Large RI Project LM2018129 Czech-BioImaging) https://www.msmt.cz. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.