Metabolism of Trichomonad Hydrogenosomes

Abstract

Trichomonad hydrogenosomes are the best studied organelles of their kind to date. Their role in energy metabolism, antioxidant defense, and the assembly of iron-sulfur centers, the vital cofactors of a number of essential proteins, has been reliably established. In this chapter, we summarize our knowledge of trichomonad hydrogenosome biochemistry, particularly the energy-linked pathway, the oxygen- and reactive oxygen species-related biochemistry, and the iron-sulfur cluster assembly machinery. The structure of the proteins constituting the core pathway is dealt with in some detail. We also attempt to incorporate the results of the T. vaginalis genome annotation, proteomic, and biochemical studies into the metabolic scheme of the hydrogenosome.