Showing papers by "Michael P. Barrett published in 1994"
TL;DR: A gene from Trypanosoma cruzi, TcrHT1, which encodes a member of the glucose transporter superfamily has been cloned and when injected with in vitro transcribed Tcr HT1 mRNA, Xenopus oocytes express a hexose transporter with properties similar to those of T. cruzi.
Abstract: A gene from Trypanosoma cruzi, TcrHT1, which encodes a member of the glucose transporter superfamily has been cloned The gene is similar in sequence to the T brucei hexose transporter THT1 and the Leishmania transporter Pro-1 and is present in the T cruzi genome as a cluster of at least eight tandemly reiterated copies Northern blot analysis revealed two mRNA transcripts which differ in size with respect to their 3' untranslated regions When injected with in vitro transcribed TcrHT1 mRNA, Xenopus oocytes express a hexose transporter with properties similar to those of T cruzi Glucose transport in T cruzi is mediated via a carrier with unique properties when compared with the other glucose transporters already characterized among the Kinetoplastida It is a facilitated transporter with a high affinity for D-glucose (Km = 841 +/- 79 microM and Vmax = 46 +/- 94 nmol/min per mg of protein) that shares with other kinetoplastid hexose transporters the ability to recognize D-fructose, which distinguishes these carriers from the human erythrocyte glucose transporter GLUT1
48 citations
TL;DR: A molecular model of the trypanosome enzyme based on its mammalian counterpart revealed differences between the two enzymes in residues involved in cofactor binding.
12 citations