Identification and validation of Trypanosoma cruzi's glycosomal adenylate kinase containing a peroxisomal targeting signal

Adenylate kinases are key enzymes involved in cell energy management. Trypanosomatid organisms have the largest number of isoforms found in a single cell, constituting a major difference with the mammalian hosts. In this work we study an adenylate kinase, TcADK3, the only Trypanosoma cruzi protein harboring the putative peroxisomal (glycosomal) targeting signal, -CKL. Parasites expressing GFP fused to TcADK3 showed a strong fluorescence in the glycosomes. The same result was obtained when the tripeptide -CKL was added at the C-terminus of the GFP, demonstrating that this signal is necessary and sufficient for targeting proteins to glycosomes. When this tripeptide was removed from the GFP-TcADK3 fusion protein, the fluorescence was re-localized in the cytoplasm. The CKL signal could be used for targeting foreign proteins to the glycosomes. This model also provides a useful tool to study glycosomes dynamics, morphology or number in living parasites in any stage of the life cycle. (C) 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.