Lysophosphatidylcholine triggers cell differentiation in the protozoan parasite Herpetomonas samuelpessoai through the CK2 pathway

Background Protozoa are distantly related to vertebrates but present some features of higher eukaryotes, making them good model systems for studying the evolution of basic processes such as the cell cycle. Herpetomonas samuelpessoai is a trypanosomatid parasite isolated from the hemipteran insect Zelus leucogrammus. Lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) is implicated in the transmission and establishment of Chagas disease, whose etiological agent is Trypanosoma cruzi . LPC is synthesized by T. cruzi and its vectors, the hemipteran Rhodnius prolixus and Triatoma infestans. Platelet-activating factor (PAF), a phospholipid with potent and diverse physiological and pathophysiological actions, is a powerful inducer of cell differentiation in Herpetomonas muscarum muscarum and T. cruzi . The enzyme phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) catalyzes the hydrolysis of the 2-ester bond of 3-sn-phosphoglyceride, transforming phosphatidylcholine (PC) into LPC. Methods In this study, we evaluated cellular differentiation, PLA 2 activity and protein kinase CK2 activity of H. samuelpessoai in the absence and in the presence of LPC and PAF. Results: We demonstrate that both PC and LPC promoted a twofold increase in the cellular differentiation of H. samuelpessoai , through CK2, with a concomitant inhibition of its cell growth. Intrinsic PLA 2 most likely directs this process by converting PC into LPC. Conclusions Our results suggest that the actions of LPC on H. samuelpessoai occur upon binding to a putative PAF receptor and that the protein kinase CK2 plays a major role in this process. Graphic abstract Cartoon depicting a model for the synthesis and functions of LPC in Herpetomonas samuelpessoai , based upon our results regarding the role of LPC on the cell biology of Trypanosoma cruzi [ 28 – 32 ]. N nucleus, k kinetoplast, PC phosphatidylcholine, LPC lysophosphatidylcholine, PLA 2 phospholipase A 2 , PAFR putative PAF receptor in trypanosomatids [ 65 ], CK2 protein kinase CK2 [ 16 ].