Chapter category: Infectious Disease
Distinct Mechanisms Operate to Control Stagespecific and Cellcycle Dependent Gene Expression in Trypanosoma cruzi
Molecular Mechanisms of Pathogenesis in Chagas Disease
Edited by: JohnM. KellyISBN: 0-306-47849-8
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «
Chapter authors:
Maria Carolina Q. Barbosa Elias, Rafael Marques Porto, Marcella Faria and Sergio Schenkman
Proliferation and differentiation are key events for the establishment of infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and consequently, for the pathogenesis of Chagas' disease. Therefore the understanding of these processes at the molecular level is important for the design of new prophylactic and therapeutic strategies to combat Chagas' disease. Very little is known about the mechanisms that control these processes, which involve the transformation of proliferative and noninfective to nonproliferative and infective forms. In this chapter, we will initially summarize the morphological differences between the parasite stages, highlighting some of the biochemical changes at the cell surface. Then, we will describe some of the known mechanisms involved in the control of differential gene expression. Finally, we will discuss the changes that occur to the nuclear and chromatin structure when the proliferating stages differentiate into infective stages. Based on the recent findings, we will propose two levels of gene expression in T. cruzi. The first regulates gene expression by controlling mRNA stability. In this case, environmental signals may induce, activate, or inactivate factors, such as RNA binding proteins, which regulate the steadystate levels of each individual mRNA. The second level of control involves the triggering by environmental signals of the entry and exit of the cell cycle. These events are associated with structural modifications of the nucleus and the kinetoplast affecting the replication machinery and, nonspecifically, transcription.
Additional chapters from this book:
How Does Trypanosoma cruzi Survive the Toxic Effects of Reactive Oxygen Species?
Shane R. Wilkinson and John M. Kelly
Biological molecules are subject to attack by reactive oxygen species (ROS) leading to membrane disruption, inactivation of essential enzymes, mutagenesis and damage to DNA repair machinery. I...
Activation of BradykininReceptors by Trypanosoma cruzi: A Role for Cruzipain in Microvascular Pathology
Julio Scharfstein
During its life cycle in the mammalian host, Trypanosoma cruzi productively exploits the enzymatic diversity of its own proteases to generate activation signals for a broad range...
Trypanosoma cruzi trans-Sialidase: A Cytokine Mimetic (Parasitokine)
Wenda Gao and Miercio A. Pereira
Cytokines are small soluble proteins with high potency in orchestrating host immune responses during stress, injury, tumorgenesis, and infection. Studies in animal models and human...
Impact of Polyclonal Lymphocyte Responses on Parasite Evasion and Persistence
Paola Minoprio
In the field of immunoparasitology it is generally accepted that the survival and degree of pathogenicity of parasites is inextricably linked to their ability to escape and resi...
Ca2+ Signaling in the Invasion of Mammalian Cells by Trypanosoma cruzi
Silvia N.J. Moreno and Roberto Docampo
In order to replicate in the mammalian host, Trypanosoma cruzi must invade host cells. Changes in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i
The Trypanosoma cruzi Mucin Coat: Structure, Regulation of the Expression and Relevance in the Host-Parasite Relationship
Javier M. Di Noia, Ivan D'Orso and Alberto Carlos C. Frasch
The cell surface of Trypanosoma cruzi, the agent of the Chagas disease, is covered by a family of highly O-glycosylated mucin-like glycoproteins. This coat protects the para...
Distinct Mechanisms Operate to Control Stagespecific and Cellcycle Dependent Gene Expression in Trypanosoma cruzi
Maria Carolina Q. Barbosa Elias, Rafael Marques Porto, Marcella Faria and Sergio Schenkman
Proliferation and differentiation are key events for the establishment of infection by Trypanosoma cruzi and consequently, for the pathogenesis of Chagas' disease. Therefore...
Genetic Diversity of Trypanosoma cruzi and the Epidemiology of Chagas Disease
Michael A Miles, Matthew Yeo and Michael Gaunt
The complex epidemiology of Chagas disease is not fully understood. It has been suggested that distinct genotypes of Trypanosoma cruzi may cause the severe (megasyndromes) and b...
The Role of Nitric Oxide in the Pathogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection
Gislâine A. Martins, Mauro M. Teixeira and João S. Silva
This Chapter summarizes the roles of nitric oxide (NO) in mediating and controlling the effector immune response against Trypanosoma cruzi and in the pathology resulting from the infect...
