Unveiling the Intracellular Survival Gene Kit of Trypanosomatid Parasites: e1004399

Trypanosomatids are unicellular protozoans of medical and economical relevance since they are the etiologic agents of infectious diseases in humans as well as livestock. Whereas Trypanosoma cruzi and different species of Leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites, Trypanosoma brucei and other t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS pathogens 2014-12, Vol.10 (12)
Main Authors: Bartholomeu, Daniella Castanheira, Paiva, Marcia Cardosode, Mendes, Tiago AO, DaRocha, Wanderson D, Teixeira, Santuza MR
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cell division
Disease
Fatty acids
Genes
Genetic engineering
Genomes
Leishmania
Mammals
Metabolism
Mitochondrial DNA
Parasites
Proteins
Protozoa
RNA polymerase
Studies
Trypanosoma brucei
Trypanosoma cruzi
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Summary:Trypanosomatids are unicellular protozoans of medical and economical relevance since they are the etiologic agents of infectious diseases in humans as well as livestock. Whereas Trypanosoma cruzi and different species of Leishmania are obligate intracellular parasites, Trypanosoma brucei and other trypanosomatids develop extracellularly throughout their entire life cycle. After their genomes have been sequenced, various comparative genomic studies aimed at identifying sequences involved with host cell invasion and intracellular survival have been described. However, for only a handful of genes, most of them present exclusively in the T. cruzi or Leishmania genomes, has there been any experimental evidence associating them with intracellular parasitism. With the increasing number of published complete genome sequences of members of the trypanosomatid family, including not only different Trypanosoma and Leishmania strains and subspecies but also trypanosomatids that do not infect humans or other mammals, we may now be able to contemplate a slightly better picture regarding the specific set of parasite factors that defines each organism's mode of living and the associated disease phenotypes. Here, we review the studies concerning T. cruzi and Leishmania genes that have been implicated with cell invasion and intracellular parasitism and also summarize the wealth of new information regarding the mode of living of intracellular parasites that is resulting from comparative genome studies that are based on increasingly larger trypanosomatid genome datasets.
ISSN:1553-7366
1553-7374
DOI:10.1371/journal.ppat.1004399