@article{SchwedeJonesEngstleretal.2011,
  author    = {Schwede, Angela and Jones, Nicola and Engstler, Markus and Carrington, Mark},
  title     = {The VSG C-terminal domain is inaccessible to antibodies on live trypanosomes},
  series = {Molecular \& Biochemical Parasitology},
  volume    = {175},
  journal   = {Molecular \& Biochemical Parasitology},
  number    = {2},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.molbiopara.2010.11.004},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-142746},
  pages     = {201-204},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {In the mammalian host, the Trypanosoma brucei cell surface is covered with a densely packed protein coat of a single protein, the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). The VSG is believed to shield invariant surface proteins from host antibodies but there is limited information on how far antibodies can penetrate into the VSG monolayer. Here, the VSG surface coat was probed to determine whether it acts as a barrier to binding of antibodies to the membrane proximal VSG C-terminal domain. The binding of C-terminal domain antibodies to VSG221 or VSG118 was compared with antibodies recognising the cognate whole VSGs. The C-terminal VSG domain was inaccessible to antibodies on live cells but not on fixed cells. This provides further evidence that the VSG coat acts as a barrier and protects the cell from antibodies that would otherwise bind to some of the other externally disposed proteins.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{UppaluriNaglerStellamannsetal.2011,
  author    = {Uppaluri, Sravanti and Nagler, Jan and Stellamanns, Eric and Heddergott, Niko and Herminghaus, Stephan and Pfohl, Thomas and Engstler, Markus},
  title     = {Impact of Microscopic Motility on the Swimming Behavior of Parasites: Straighter Trypanosomes are More Directional},
  series = {PLoS Computational Biology},
  volume    = {7},
  journal   = {PLoS Computational Biology},
  number    = {6},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002058},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-140814},
  pages     = {e1002058},
  year      = {2011},
  abstract  = {Microorganisms, particularly parasites, have developed sophisticated swimming mechanisms to cope with a varied range of environments. African Trypanosomes, causative agents of fatal illness in humans and animals, use an insect vector (the Tsetse fly) to infect mammals, involving many developmental changes in which cell motility is of prime importance. Our studies reveal that differences in cell body shape are correlated with a diverse range of cell behaviors contributing to the directional motion of the cell. Straighter cells swim more directionally while cells that exhibit little net displacement appear to be more bent. Initiation of cell division, beginning with the emergence of a second flagellum at the base, correlates to directional persistence. Cell trajectory and rapid body fluctuation correlation analysis uncovers two characteristic relaxation times: a short relaxation time due to strong body distortions in the range of 20 to 80 ms and a longer time associated with the persistence in average swimming direction in the order of 15 seconds. Different motility modes, possibly resulting from varying body stiffness, could be of consequence for host invasion during distinct infective stages.},
  language  = {en}
}