Iron from haemoglobin and haemin modulates nucleotide hydrolysis in Trichomonas vaginalis

Extracellular ATP may act as a danger signalling molecule, inducing inflammation andimmune responses in infection sites. The ectonucleotidases NTPDase andecto-5’-nucleotidase are enzymes that modulate extracellular nucleotide levels; theseenzymes have been previously characterised in Trichomonas vaginalis.Iron plays an important role in the complex trichomonal pathogenesis. Herein, theeffects of iron on growth, nucleotide hydrolysis and NTPDase gene expression inT. vaginalis isolates from female and male patients wereevaluated. Iron from different sources sustained T. vaginalisgrowth. Importantly, iron from haemoglobin (HB) and haemin (HM) enhanced NTPDaseactivity in isolates from female patients and conversely reduced the enzyme activityin isolates from male patients. Iron treatments could not alter the NTPDasetranscript levels in T. vaginalis. Furthermore, our results reveal adistinct ATP, ADP and AMP hydrolysis profile between isolates from female and malepatients influenced by iron from HB and HM. Our data indicate the participation ofNTPDase and ecto-5’-nucleotidase in the establishment of trichomonas infectionthrough ATP degradation and adenosine production influenced by iron.