Complexity and multi-factoriality of Trypanosoma cruzi sylvatic cycle in coatis, Nasua nasua (Procyonidae), and triatomine bugs in the Brazilian Pantanal

Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas’ disease, occurs as different strains or isolates that may be grouped in two major phylogenetic lineages: T. cruzi I, associated with the sylvatic cycle and T. cruzi II, linked to the human disease. In the mammalian host the parasite has to invade cells and many studies implicated the flagellated trypomastigotes in this process. Several parasite surface components and some of host cell receptors with which they interact have been identified. Our work focused on how amastigotes, usually found growing in the cytoplasm, can invade mammalian cells with infectivities comparable to that of trypomastigotes. We found differences in cellular responses induced by amastigotes and trypomastigotes regarding cytoskeletal components and actin-rich projections. Extracellularly generated amastigotes of T. cruzi I strains may display greater infectivity than metacyclic trypomastigotes towards cultured cell lines as well as target cells that have modified expression of different classes of cellular components. Cultured host cells harboring the bacterium Coxiella burnetii allowed us to gain new insights into the trafficking properties of the different infective forms of T. cruzi, disclosing unexpected requirements for the parasite to transit between the parasitophorous vacuole to its final destination in the host cell cytoplasm.

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A simple method to purify biologically and antigenically preserved bloodstream trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi using Deae-cellulose columns

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz ◽

10.1590/s0074-02761983000300009 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 317-333 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

Maria Auxiliadora de Sousa

Keyword(s):

Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽

Deae Cellulose ◽

Mouse Blood ◽

Simple Method ◽

Infected Blood ◽

Normal Morphology ◽

Mean Survival Time ◽

Triatomine Bugs ◽

Forms Processing ◽

Polymorphism Pattern

A method to purify trypanosomastigotes of some strains of Trypanosoma cruzi (Y, CL, FL, F, "Berenice", "Colombiana" and "São Felipe") from mouse blood by using DEAE-cellulose columns was standardized. This procedure is a modification of the Lanham & Godfrey methods and differs in some aspects from others described to purify T. cruzi bloodstream trypomastigotes, mainly by avoidance of prior purifications of parasites. By this method, the broad trypomastigotes were mainly isolated, accounting for higher recoveries obtained with strains having higher percentages of these forms: processing of infected blood from irradiated mice could be advantageous by increasing the recovery of parasites (percentage and/or total number) and elution of more slender trypomastigotes. Trypomastigotes purified by this method presented normal morphology and motility, remained infective to triatomine bugs and mice, showing in the latter prepatent periods and courses parasitemia similar to those of control parasites, and also reproducing the polymorphism pattern of each strain. Their virulence and pathogenicity also remained considerably preserved, the latter property being evaluated by LD 50 tests, mortality rates and mean survival time of inoculated mice. Moreover, these parasites presented positive, clear and peripheral immunofluorescence reaction at titres similar to those of control organisms, thus suggesting important preservation of their surface antigens.

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The sylvatic cycle of Trypanosoma cruzi: a still unsolved puzzle

Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz ◽

10.1590/s0074-02761999000700030 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 94 (suppl 1) ◽

pp. 203-204 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Ana Maria Jansen ◽

Ana Paula Santos de Pinho ◽

Cristiane Varella Lisboa ◽

Elisa Cupolillo ◽

Regina Helena Mangia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽

Sylvatic Cycle

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Elucidating the Mechanism of Trypanosoma cruzi Acquisition by Triatomine Insects: Evidence from a Large Field Survey of Triatoma infestans

Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease ◽

10.3390/tropicalmed5020087 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 87

Author(s):

Aaron W. Tustin ◽

Ricardo Castillo-Neyra ◽

Laura D. Tamayo ◽

Renzo Salazar ◽

Katty Borini-Mayorí ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽

Regression Models ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Etiologic Agent ◽

Triatoma Infestans ◽

Large Field ◽

Blood Sucking ◽

Triatomine Bugs ◽

Cruzi Infection

Blood-sucking triatomine bugs transmit the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. We measured the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in 58,519 Triatoma infestans captured in residences in and near Arequipa, Peru. Among bugs from infected colonies, T. cruzi prevalence increased with stage from 12% in second instars to 36% in adults. Regression models demonstrated that the probability of parasite acquisition was roughly the same for each developmental stage. Prevalence increased by 5.9% with each additional stage. We postulate that the probability of acquiring the parasite may be related to the number of feeding events. Transmission of the parasite does not appear to be correlated with the amount of blood ingested during feeding. Similarly, other hypothesized transmission routes such as coprophagy fail to explain the observed pattern of prevalence. Our results could have implications for the feasibility of late-acting control strategies that preferentially kill older insects.

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Trypanosoma cruzi Ikiakarora (TcIII) Draft Genome Sequence

Microbiology Resource Announcements ◽

10.1128/mra.00453-20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (27) ◽

Author(s):

Inmaculada Gómez ◽

Alberto Rastrojo ◽

Fabián Lorenzo-Díaz ◽

Francisco José Sánchez-Luque ◽

Francisco Macías ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Genetic Variability ◽

Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽

Geographical Distribution ◽

Genome Sequence ◽

Draft Genome ◽

Clinical Manifestations ◽

Sylvatic Cycle ◽

Content Type ◽

Discrete Typing Unit

ABSTRACT Trypanosoma cruzi shows a genetic diversity that has been associated with the variability of clinical manifestations, geographical distribution, and preferential parasite-vector interactions. In an effort to better understand this genetic variability, here, the draft genome of T. cruzi strain Ikiakarora (discrete typing unit TcIII), which has been associated with the sylvatic cycle, is reported.

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