Nicotinamide/nicotinate adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/NaAD) performs essential functions
in cell metabolism and energy production due to its redox properties. The
nicotinamide/nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase (NMNAT, EC 2.7.7.1/18)
enzyme catalyses the key step in the biosynthesis of NAD+. Previously, the enzyme
NMNAT was identified in Trypanosoma cruzi (TcNMNAT), a pathogenic
agent with epidemiological importance in Latin America. To continue with the
functional characterisation of this enzyme, its subcellular location and its possible
post-translational modifications were examined in this study. For this, polyclonal
antibodies were generated in mice, with soluble and denatured recombinant protein
being used to detect the parasite’s NMNAT. Immunodetection assays were performed on
whole extracts of T. cruzi, and an approximation of its
intracellular location was determined using confocal microscopy on wild and
transgenic parasites, which revealed the cytosol distribution patterns. This
localisation occurs according to the needs of the dinucleotides that exist in this
compartment. Additionally, a bioinformatics study was performed as a first approach
to establish the post-translational modifications of the enzyme. Possible
phosphorylation events were experimentally analysed by western blot, highlighting
TcNMNAT as a potential target for serine kinases.