Assessing Trypanosoma cruzi Parasite Diversity through Comparative Genomics: Implications for Disease Epidemiology and Diagnostics.

ABSTRACT: Chagas disease is an important vector-borne neglected tropical disease that causes great health and economic losses. The etiological agent, Trypanosoma cruzi, is a protozoan parasite endemic to the Americas, comprised by important diversity, which has been suggested to contribute to poor serological diagnostic performance. Current nomenclature describes seven discrete typing units (DTUs), or lineages. We performed the first large scale analysis of T. cruzi diversity among 52 previously published genomes from strains covering multiple countries and parasite DTUs and assessed how different markers summarize this genetic diversity. We also examined how seven antigens currently used in commercial serologic tests are conserved across this diversity of strains. DTU structuration wa

SUBMITTER: Majeau A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7919814 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature