The MASP family of Trypanosoma cruzi: changes in gene expression and antigenic profile during the acute phase of experimental infection.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease, a debilitating illness that affects millions of people in the Americas. A major finding of the T. cruzi genome project was the discovery of a novel multigene family composed of approximately 1,300 genes that encode mucin-associated surface proteins (MASPs). The high level of polymorphism of the MASP family associated with its localization at the surface of infective forms of the parasite suggests that MASP participates in host-parasite interactions. We speculate that the large repertoire of MASP sequences may contribute to the ability of T. cruzi to infect several host cell types and/or participate in host immune evasion mechanisms.

Methods

By sequencing seven cDNA libraries, we analyzed the MASP expres

SUBMITTER: dos Santos SL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3419193 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature