Iron is involved in many biochemical processes including oxygen transport, ATP production, DNA synthesis, and antioxidant defense. The importance of iron also applies to Leishmania parasites, an intracellular protozoan pathogen causing leishmaniasis. Leishmania are heme-auxotrophs, devoid of iron storage proteins and the heme synthesis pathway. Acquisition of iron and heme from the surrounding niche is thus critical for the intracellular survival of Leishmania inside the host macrophages. Moreover, Leishmania parasites are also exposed to oxidative stress within phagolysosomes of macrophages in mammalian hosts, and they need iron superoxide dismutase for overcoming this stress. Therefore, untangling the strategy adopted by these parasites for iron acquisition and utilization can be good targets for the development of antileishmanial drugs. Here in this review, we will address how Leishmania parasites acquire and utilize iron and heme during infection to macrophages.

中文翻译：

---

利什曼原虫寄生虫对宿主来源铁的获取和利用

铁参与许多生化过程，包括氧运输、ATP 产生、DNA 合成和抗氧化防御。铁的重要性也适用于利什曼原虫寄生虫，这是一种引起利什曼病的细胞内原生动物病原体。利什曼原虫是血红素营养缺陷型动物，缺乏铁储存蛋白和血红素合成途径。因此，从周围生态位获取铁和血红素对于利什曼原虫在宿主巨噬细胞内的细胞内生存至关重要。此外，利什曼原虫寄生虫还暴露于哺乳动物宿主巨噬细胞吞噬溶酶体内的氧化应激，它们需要铁超氧化物歧化酶来克服这种应激。因此，解开这些寄生虫获取和利用铁的策略可以成为开发抗利什曼病药物的良好目标。在这篇综述中，我们将讨论利什曼原虫寄生虫在感染巨噬细胞期间如何获取和利用铁和血红素。