Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase: a potent and specific survival factor for human Schwann cells by means of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling.

ABSTRACT: Patients infected with Trypanosoma cruzi may remain asymptomatic for decades and show signs of neuroregeneration in the peripheral nervous system (PNS). In the absence of such neuroregeneration, patients may die in part by extensive neuronal destruction in the gastrointestinal tract. Thus, T. cruzi may, despite their invasion of the PNS, directly prevent cell death to keep nerve destruction in check. Indeed, T. cruzi invasion of Schwann cells, their prime target in PNS, suppressed host-cell apoptosis caused by growth-factor deprivation. The trans-sialidase (TS) of T. cruzi and the Cys-rich domain of TS reproduced the antiapoptotic activity of the parasites at doses (> or =3.0 nM) comparable or lower than those of bona fide mammalian growth factors. This effect was blocked by LY294002, an i

SUBMITTER: Chuenkova MV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC55556 | biostudies-literature | 2001 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature