Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.4
4.5
Journals
Microorganisms
Special Issues
Advances in Trypanosoma Infection
share announcement

Advances in Trypanosoma Infection

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2024) | Viewed by 2384

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Ulrike Kemmerling

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile 8380453, Chile
Interests: Trypanosoma cruzi; congenital Chagas disease; host–pathogen interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Christian Castillo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile 8380453, Chile
2. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Agronomía, Universidad de Las Américas, Santiago 7500975, Chile
Interests: Trypanosoma cruzi; congenital Chagas disease; chronic chagasic cardiopathy; host–pathogen interaction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Chagas Disease, or American Trypanosomiasis, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a silent, underdiagnosed, and life-threatening disease. Nevertheless, it constitutes a significant public health issue in Latin America and worldwide.

The probability of acquiring the disease depends on multiple factors: The parasite, the vectors, the mammalian hosts (including the human being), and socio-economical aspects. Particularly, the host-pathogen interaction is a key factor determining the infection probability and disease establishment. Thus, studying those different aspects is essential to understanding the disease's pathogenesis and improving diagnostic and therapeutic tools for Trypanosoma cruzi infection. 

Therefore, we invite our colleagues to submit their contributions in original research articles, review papers, and short communications about the host-Trypanosoma cruzi interactions for this Special Issue in Microorganisms.

Dr. Ulrike Kemmerling
Dr. Christian Castillo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Trypanosoma cruzi
  • host-parasite interaction
  • chagas disease treatment
  • American trypanosomiasis

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 4023 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Identification of Phosphorylation Sites on TcPolβ by Protein Kinases TcCK1, TcCK2, TcAUK1, and TcPKC1 and Effect of Phorbol Ester on Activation by TcPKC of TcPolβ in Trypanosoma cruzi Epimastigotes
by Edio Maldonado, Paz Canobra, Matías Oyarce, Fabiola Urbina, Vicente J. Miralles, Julio C. Tapia, Christian Castillo and Aldo Solari
Microorganisms 2024, 12(5), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12050907 - 30 Apr 2024
Viewed by 293
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by the single-flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which affects several million people worldwide. Understanding the signal transduction pathways involved in this parasite’s growth, adaptation, and differentiation is crucial. Understanding the basic mechanisms of signal transduction in T. cruzi could [...] Read more.
Chagas disease is caused by the single-flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, which affects several million people worldwide. Understanding the signal transduction pathways involved in this parasite’s growth, adaptation, and differentiation is crucial. Understanding the basic mechanisms of signal transduction in T. cruzi could help to develop new drugs to treat the disease caused by these protozoa. In the present work, we have demonstrated that Fetal Calf Serum (FCS) can quickly increase the levels of both phosphorylated and unphosphorylated forms of T. cruzi DNA polymerase beta (TcPolβ) in tissue-cultured trypomastigotes. The in vitro phosphorylation sites on TcPolβ by protein kinases TcCK1, TcCK2, TcAUK1, and TcPKC1 have been identified by Mass Spectrometry (MS) analysis and with antibodies against phosphor Ser-Thr-Tyr. MS analysis indicated that these protein kinases can phosphorylate Ser and Thr residues on several sites on TcPolβ. Unexpectedly, it was found that TcCK1 and TcPKC1 can phosphorylate a different Tyr residue on TcPolβ. By using a specific anti-phosphor Tyr monoclonal antibody, it was determined that TcCK1 can be in vitro autophosphorylated on Tyr residues. In vitro and in vivo studies showed that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) can activate the PKC to stimulate the TcPolβ phosphorylation and enzymatic activity in T. cruzi epimastigotes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Trypanosoma Infection)
14 pages, 1256 KiB  
Article
Parasite Burden of Trypanosoma cruzi in Whole Blood and Buffy Coat Determined by Real-Time PCR in Individuals with Chronic Chagas Disease
by Daniela Liempi, Inés Zulantay, Nelson M. Varela, Mauricio Canals, Andrés Guevara, Nicolás Poulsen and Werner Apt
Microorganisms 2024, 12(2), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms12020249 - 25 Jan 2024
Viewed by 885
Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare, by qPCR, the circulating blood parasite load of Trypanosoma cruzi in the buffy coat, and in whole blood mixed with boiled and unboiled guanidine hydrochloride-EDTA buffer, of individuals with chronic ChD. The concentration and purity [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to compare, by qPCR, the circulating blood parasite load of Trypanosoma cruzi in the buffy coat, and in whole blood mixed with boiled and unboiled guanidine hydrochloride-EDTA buffer, of individuals with chronic ChD. The concentration and purity of DNA were evaluated in a Nanodrop Denovix DS-11FX Series Spectrophotometer (DeNovix Inc., Wilmington, NC, USA). The parasite load was determined with the Taqman® qPCR system using a Stratagene Mx3000P thermocycler (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) with Cruzi 1 and Cruzi 2 satellite primers. Student’s t-test with Bonferroni correction, Chi-squared (χ2) tests and Spearman’s correlation coefficient were applied. The concentration and purity of DNA were higher in the buffy coat. Parasite DNA was detected and quantifiable in the three types of samples in seven patients, without statistically significant differences in the parasite load obtained. Higher correlations were found between the total DNA concentrations and the parasite loads obtained in the samples of the buffy coat. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Trypanosoma Infection)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 916 KiB  
Article
Experimental Hybrids of the Triatoma brasiliensis Species Complex Show Higher Susceptibility to the Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Than Their Parentals
by Nathália Correia, Letícia Paschoaletto, Carolina Reigada, Teresa Cristina Monte Gonçalves, Carlos José de Carvalho Moreira and Jane Costa
Microorganisms 2023, 11(12), 2850; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms11122850 - 24 Nov 2023
Viewed by 777
Abstract
The Triatoma brasiliensis species complex is a monophyletic group encompassing two subspecies and six species. Recently, a hybrid zone of members of this complex was recorded in the state of Pernambuco. Questions concerning the capability of the hybrids to become infected with Trypanosoma [...] Read more.
The Triatoma brasiliensis species complex is a monophyletic group encompassing two subspecies and six species. Recently, a hybrid zone of members of this complex was recorded in the state of Pernambuco. Questions concerning the capability of the hybrids to become infected with Trypanosoma cruzi have been raised. This study aimed to compare the susceptibility of Triatoma b. brasiliensis, Triatoma juazeirensis, and their experimental hybrids to infection with T. cruzi. We infected the parentals and their experimental hybrids (obtained through reciprocal crosses) through artificial feeding with citrated rabbit blood, to which the TcI 0354 strain of T. cruzi had been added. The insects were weighed before and after feeding on the rabbit blood, and then they were dissected on the 10th, 20th, and 30th day after infection. Both the hybrids and the parentals remained infected throughout the experiment. The parasite was mostly found in the epimastigote form. The number of epimastigotes was significantly lower in the stomach and small intestine of T. juazeirensis than in the hybrids or in T. b. brasiliensis. A significantly higher percentage of metacyclic trypomastigotes was detected in the small intestine and rectum of the hybrids. Hybrids demonstrated higher susceptibility to the TcI 0354 strain than their parentals, opening up new avenues to be investigated. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Trypanosoma Infection)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop