Trypanosoma cruzi Needs a Signal Provided by Reactive Oxygen Species to Infect Macrophages.

ABSTRACT:

Background

During Trypanosoma cruzi infection, macrophages produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in a process called respiratory burst. Several works have aimed to elucidate the role of ROS during T. cruzi infection and the results obtained are sometimes contradictory. T. cruzi has a highly efficiently regulated antioxidant machinery to deal with the oxidative burst, but the parasite macromolecules, particularly DNA, may still suffer oxidative damage. Guanine (G) is the most vulnerable base and its oxidation results in formation of 8-oxoG, a cellular marker of oxidative stress.

Methodology/principal findings

In order to investigate the contribution of ROS in T. cruzi survival and infection, we utilized mice deficient in the gp91phox (Phox KO) subunit of NADPH oxidase and par

SUBMITTER: Goes GR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4818108 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature