Differential Expression of a Virulence Factor,the trans-Sialidase, by the Main Trypanosoma cruzi Phylogenetic Lineages

The clinical outcome of Chagas disease is highly variable, mainly because of the heterogeneity of Trypanosoma cruzi,a parasite for which 2 major phylogenetic groups (I and II) were recently defined. Epidemiological and immunological data indicate that the prevalence of T. cruziII in patients living...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 2004-06, Vol.189 (12), p.2250-2259
Main Authors: Risso, Marikena G., Garbarino, Gloria B., Mocetti, Esteban, Campetella, Oscar, Gonzlez Cappa, Stella M., Buscaglia, Carlos A., Leguizamn, Susana M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Biological and medical sciences
Chagas disease
Chagas Disease - parasitology
Chagas Disease - pathology
Disease Models, Animal
Epidemiology
Evolutionary genetics
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Gene Expression Regulation
Glycoproteins
Humans
Infections
Infectious diseases
Lesions
Medical genetics
Medical sciences
Mice
Microbiology
Neuraminidase - genetics
Neuraminidase - metabolism
Parasitemia
Parasitemia - parasitology
Parasitemia - pathology
Parasites
Parasitism
Phylogeny
Thymus Gland - pathology
Trypanosoma cruzi
Trypanosoma cruzi - genetics
Trypanosoma cruzi - growth & development
Trypanosoma cruzi - metabolism
Trypanosoma cruzi - pathogenicity
Virulence Factors - genetics
Virulence Factors - metabolism
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Summary:The clinical outcome of Chagas disease is highly variable, mainly because of the heterogeneity of Trypanosoma cruzi,a parasite for which 2 major phylogenetic groups (I and II) were recently defined. Epidemiological and immunological data indicate that the prevalence of T. cruziII in patients living in the southern cone of South America correlates with the alterations caused by Chagas disease. We report here that infection with T. cruziII isolates induces 100% mortality in mice, in contrast to infection with T. cruziI isolates, in which almost all mice enter the chronic phase even when a 1000-fold higher inoculum is administered. Trypomastigotes from T. cruziII strains express and shed significantly higher amounts of frans-sialidase than do those from the T. cruziI lineage. Disorganization of the thymus histoarchitecture associated with the circulating enzyme was observed after infection with T. cruziII strains, in contrast to transient thymus lesions found in mice infected with T. cruziI strains. Therefore, frans-sialidase becomes the first T. cruzivirulence factor identified that is differentially expressed by the main parasite groups and that contributes to their contrasting behaviors.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1086/420831