Abstract
Most cells use either a type I or type II synthase to make fatty acids. Trypanosoma brucei, the sleeping sickness parasite, provides the first example of a third mechanism for this process. Trypanosomes use microsomal elongases to synthesize fatty acids de novo, whereas other cells use elongases to make long-chain fatty acids even longer. The modular nature of the pathway allows synthesis of different fatty-acid end products, which have important roles in trypanosome biology. Indeed, this newly discovered mechanism seems ideally suited for the parasitic lifestyle.
Publication types
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Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
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Review
MeSH terms
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Acetyltransferases / genetics
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Acetyltransferases / metabolism*
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Animals
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Biological Evolution
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Biosynthetic Pathways
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Eukaryota / enzymology
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Eukaryota / genetics
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Eukaryota / metabolism
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Fatty Acid Elongases
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Fatty Acid Synthases / genetics
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Fatty Acid Synthases / metabolism
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Fatty Acids / biosynthesis*
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Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / biosynthesis
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Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / chemistry
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Glycosylphosphatidylinositols / metabolism
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Leishmania major / enzymology
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Leishmania major / genetics
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Life Cycle Stages
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Microsomes / enzymology*
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Mitochondria / enzymology
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Trypanosoma brucei brucei / enzymology
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Trypanosoma brucei brucei / genetics
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Trypanosoma brucei brucei / growth & development
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Trypanosoma brucei brucei / metabolism*
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Trypanosoma cruzi / enzymology
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Trypanosoma cruzi / genetics
Substances
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Fatty Acids
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Fatty Acids, Unsaturated
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Glycosylphosphatidylinositols
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Acetyltransferases
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Fatty Acid Elongases
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Fatty Acid Synthases