A quorum sensing-independent path to stumpy development in Trypanosoma brucei
Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-158230
- For persistent infections of the mammalian host, African trypanosomes limit their population size by quorum sensing of the parasite-excreted stumpy induction factor (SIF), which induces development to the tsetse-infective stumpy stage. We found that besides this cell density-dependent mechanism, there exists a second path to the stumpy stage that is linked to antigenic variation, the main instrument of parasite virulence. The expression of a second variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) leads to transcriptional attenuation of the VSG expressionFor persistent infections of the mammalian host, African trypanosomes limit their population size by quorum sensing of the parasite-excreted stumpy induction factor (SIF), which induces development to the tsetse-infective stumpy stage. We found that besides this cell density-dependent mechanism, there exists a second path to the stumpy stage that is linked to antigenic variation, the main instrument of parasite virulence. The expression of a second variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) leads to transcriptional attenuation of the VSG expression site (ES) and immediate development to tsetse fly infective stumpy parasites. This path is independent of SIF and solely controlled by the transcriptional status of the ES. In pleomorphic trypanosomes varying degrees of ES-attenuation result in phenotypic plasticity. While full ES-attenuation causes irreversible stumpy development, milder attenuation may open a time window for rescuing an unsuccessful antigenic switch, a scenario that so far has not been considered as important for parasite survival.…
Author: | Henriette Zimmermann, Ines Subota, Christopher Batram, Susanne Kramer, Christian J. Janzen, Nicola G. Jones, Markus Engstler |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-158230 |
Document Type: | Journal article |
Faculties: | Fakultät für Biologie / Theodor-Boveri-Institut für Biowissenschaften |
Language: | English |
Parent Title (English): | PLoS Pathogens |
Year of Completion: | 2017 |
Volume: | 13 |
Issue: | 4 |
Pagenumber: | e1006324 |
Source: | PLoS Pathogens 13(4): e1006324 (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1006324 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1006324 |
Dewey Decimal Classification: | 6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit |
Tag: | Trypanosoma; cell cycle and cell division; cell differentiation; cloning; hyperexpression techniques; parasitic cell cycles; parasitic diseases; tetracyclines |
Release Date: | 2018/03/22 |
Collections: | Open-Access-Publikationsfonds / Förderzeitraum 2017 |
Licence (German): | CC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International |