O. Villafraz

This study shows that UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGP) is imported into glycosomes by piggybacking on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) and that both cytosolic and glycosomal UGP pathways are functional in trypanosomes.

This study shows procyclic trypanosomes can use TCA cycle intermediates and glucose catabolites for growth in the fly midgut, expanding their metabolic flexibility.

The paper shows that a deletion event between FRDg and FRDm2 genes is selected in PEPCK knockout cells, leading to a non-functional chimeric gene that reduces growth, suggesting FRD's role in ROS production for parasite differentiation.

The paper introduces a new mechanism called 'metabolic contest' that regulates carbon source preference in trypanosomes without nutrient sensing or signaling.