The characterisation of the gene encoding
Trypanosoma cruzi
CL Brener phosphofructokinase (PFK) and the biochemical properties of the expressed enzyme are reported here. In contradiction with previous reports, the PFK genes of CL Brener and YBM strain
T. cruzi were found to be similar to their
Leishmania mexicana
and
Trypanosoma brucei
homologs in terms of both kinetic properties and size, with open reading frames encoding polypeptides with a deduced molecular mass of 53,483. The predicted amino acid sequence contains the C-terminal glycosome-targeting tripeptide SKL; this localisation was confirmed by immunofluorescence assays. In sequence comparisons with the genes of other eukaryotes, it was found that, despite being an adenosine triphosphate-dependent enzyme,
T. cruzi PFK shows significant sequence similarity with inorganic pyrophosphate-dependent PFKs.
