Ehhmbp45 is a novel hemoglobin-binding protein identified in Entamoeba histolytica

Cruz-Castañeda, Areli; Olivares-Trejo, José J.

doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2008.06.057

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Volume 582, Issue 18 , Pages 2806-2810, 6 August 2008

Ehhmbp45 is a novel hemoglobin-binding protein identified in Entamoeba histolytica

Edited by Stuart Ferguson

Posgrado en Ciencias Genómicas, Universidad Autónoma de la Ciudad de México, 290 C.P. 03100, D.F., México

Received 30 April 2008; received in revised form 9 June 2008; accepted 27 June 2008. published online 14 July 2008.

Abstract

Hemoglobin-binding proteins are necessary for pathogens to obtain iron from Hb. Entamoeba histolytica can grow using Hb as source of iron, but the underlying mechanism has not previously been established. In this work, we identified a 45kDa Hb-binding protein of E. histolytica, which we named Ehhmbp45. In silico analysis showed that Ehhmbp45 contains the conserved domains needed for Hb-binding, while overlay assays demonstrated that Ehhmbp45 is able to bind Hb. In addition, we found that Ehhmbp45 mRNA levels were up-regulated under iron starvation conditions and were subsequently restored to basal levels when Hb was added to the cell cultures. These findings provide the first insights on the role of Ehhmbp45 in iron acquisition from Hb.