Do tissue-dwelling trypanosomes sustain transmission populations?

Stephen D Larcombe; Jane C Munday; Richard McCulloch

doi:10.1016/j.pt.2024.12.001

Do tissue-dwelling trypanosomes sustain transmission populations?

Trends Parasitol. 2025 Jan;41(1):13-15. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.12.001. Epub 2024 Dec 16.

Authors

Stephen D Larcombe¹, Jane C Munday², Richard McCulloch³

Affiliations

¹ University of Edinburgh, Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, Edinburgh, UK.
² University of Glasgow Centre for Parasitology, University of Glasgow, School of Infection and Immunity, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.
³ University of Glasgow Centre for Parasitology, University of Glasgow, School of Infection and Immunity, Sir Graeme Davies Building, 120 University Place, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK. Electronic address: Richard.mcculloch@glasgow.ac.uk.

PMID: 39690069
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2024.12.001

Abstract

Trypanosoma brucei infectious populations are marked by considerable diversity in the parasite's major antigen, the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). However, most parasites in the bloodstream are non-replicating, questioning how VSG diversity arises. Beaver et al. show that extravascular parasites in host tissues many explain this paradox and provide insight into trypanosome transmission.

Keywords: antigen diversity; antigenic variation; differentiation; transmission; trypanosome; variant surface glycoprotein.

MeSH terms

Animals
Host-Parasite Interactions / physiology
Humans
Trypanosoma brucei brucei* / physiology
Trypanosomiasis, African* / parasitology
Trypanosomiasis, African* / transmission
Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma / immunology

Substances

Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma