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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.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: Henriette Zimmermann, Ines Subota, Christopher Batram, Susanne Kramer, Christian J. Janzen, Nicola G. Jones, Markus Engstler
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):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International