Structure of the catalytic F 1 head of the F 1 -F o ATP synthase from Trypanosoma brucei

Trypanosoma brucei is the causative agent of sleeping sickness, which is responsible for thousands of deaths per year in developing countries. The single-cell eukaryotic parasite has an elaborate life cycle that involves both an insect vector and a mammalian host. The mitochondrial F1-Fo ATP synthase is crucial for cell survival in both stages, making it a key target for designing new drugs to combat trypanosomal infections (1, 2). In our previous work we used electron cryo-tomography and subtomogram averaging to determine the structure and organization of ATP synthase in mitochondria of procyclic T. brucei (3). We … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence should be addressed. Email: KMDavies{at}lbl.gov. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1