Glutathione-dependent activities of Trypanosoma cruzi p52 makes it a new member of the thiol:disulphide oxidoreductase family.

Trypanothione: glutathione disulphide thioltransferase of Try-panosoma cruzi (p52) is a key enzyme in the regulation of the intracellular thiol-disulphide redox balance by reducing glutathione disulphide. Here we show that p52, like other disulphide oxidoreductases possessing the CXXC active site motif, catalyses the reduction of low-molecular-mass disulphides (hydroxyethyl-disulphide) as well as protein disulphides (insulin). However, p52 seems to be a poor oxidase under physiological conditions as evidenced by its very low rate for oxidative renaturation of reduced ribonuclease A Like thioltransferase and protein disulphide isomerase, p52 was found to possess a glutathione-dependent dehydroascorbate reductase activity. The kinetic parameters were in the same range as those determined for mammalian dehydroascorbate reductases. A catalytic mechanism taking into account both trypanothione- and glutathione-dependent reduction reactions was proposed. This newly characterized enzyme is specific for the parasite and provides a new target for specific chemotherapy.