The procyclin coat of African trypanosomes (or the not-so-naked trypanosome)

1990; Elsevier BV; Volume: 6; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0169-4758(90)90216-q

ISSN

1873-1473

Autores

Isabel Roditi, Terry W. Pearson,

Tópico(s)

Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences

Resumo

The African trypanosomiases are diseases of humans and their livestock caused by trypanosomes carried by bloodsucking tsetse flies. Although the human pathogen Trypanosoma brucei is the best known, other trypanosome species are of greater concern for animal health in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, Trypanosoma congolense is a major cattle pathogen, which is as amenable to laboratory culture as T. brucei, with the advantage that its whole life cycle can be recapitulated in vitro. Thus, besides being worthy of study in its own right, T. congolense could be useful as a model of trypanosome development. Here we review the biology of T. congolense, highlighting significant and intriguing differences from its sister, T. brucei. An up-to-date compilation of methods for cultivating and genetically manipulating T. congolense in the laboratory is provided, based on published work and current development of methods in our lab, as well as a description of available molecular resources.

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