Evidence that low endocytic activity is not directly responsible for human serum resistance in the insect form of African trypanosomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In Trypanosoma brucei, the African trypanosome, endocytosis is developmentally regulated and substantially more active in all known mammalian infective stages. In both mammalian and insect stages endocytic activity is likely required for nutrient acquisition, but in bloodstream forms increased endocytosis is involved in recycling the variant surface glycoprotein and removing host immune factors from the surface. However, a rationale for low endocytic activity in insect stages has not been explored. Here we asked if endocytic down-regulation in the procyclic form was associated with resistance to innate trypanolytic immune factors in the blood meal or tsetse fly midgut.

Findings

Using a well-characterized procyclic parasite with augmented endocytic flux mediated vi

SUBMITTER: Natesan SK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2848055 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature