Abstract 1235 Metal Selectivity and Transport Mechanism of the Transmembrane ZIP Iron Transporter LIT1 from Leishmania major

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasitic unicellular protist Leishmania major, transmitted through infected female phlebotomine sandflies. Th parasite is strictly dependent on host iron and other nutrients for survival and completion of its replication cycle. In vivo studies showed that the transmembrane protein LIT1 belonging to the ZIP (Zrt-/Irt-like protein) transporter family is a critical virulence factor involved in iron uptake in Lesihmania, thereby contributing to pathogen survival in the host iron-deficient environment.