Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Genetic Variation

Genetic Variation

Genetic variation is the diversity in DNA sequences found among individuals of the same species. This diversity is crucial for a species' survival because it helps organisms adapt to environmental changes. Genetic variation begins with fertilization, where an egg and sperm cell merge. Each of these cells carries 23 chromosomes, up to 46 in the fertilized egg. Chromosomes are long DNA strands that contain genes, the basic units of heredity.
Genes exist in different versions called alleles, which...

Malaria

Malaria

Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...

American Trypanosomiasis

American Trypanosomiasis

Chagas disease, or American trypanosomiasis, is a vector-borne parasitic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, a flagellated protozoan (kinetoplastid) of the family Trypanosomatidae. The disease is endemic in Latin America, although cases are increasingly reported worldwide due to human migration. Transmission most commonly occurs when feces of infected triatomine bugs contaminate bite wounds or mucosal surfaces; additional routes include congenital, transfusional, transplant-related, and oral...

Antiprotozoal Agents

Antiprotozoal Agents

Leishmaniasis is a widespread parasitic disease caused by several Leishmania species. It affects millions of people each year and remains a major public health problem in endemic regions. First-line treatment relies on pentavalent antimonials, including meglumine antimoniate and sodium stibogluconate. Even so, how these drugs work has not been fully clear, especially their interaction with parasite-specific biochemical pathways. One key target is trypanothione reductase (TR), an enzyme that...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Variation in costs to complete surgical training: a cross-sectional observation analysis.

Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England·2025

Same author

Biosensors, Biometrics and Capabilities in Practice (CiP): A WHOOP 4.0 Perspective.

Journal of surgical education·2025

Same author

AUK3 is required for faithful nuclear segregation in the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei.

Molecular and biochemical parasitology·2025

Same author

Comparing the responses of grain-fed feedlot cattle under moderate heat load and during subsequent recovery with those of feed-restricted thermoneutral counterparts: blood cells and inflammatory markers.

International journal of biometeorology·2023

Same author

Comparing the responses of grain fed feedlot cattle under moderate heat load and during subsequent recovery with those of feed restricted thermoneutral counterparts: metabolic hormones.

International journal of biometeorology·2023

Same author

Comparing the responses of grain fed feedlot cattle under moderate heat load and during subsequent recovery with those of feed restricted thermoneutral counterparts: plasma biochemistry.

International journal of biometeorology·2022

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 28, 2026

Detection of Trypanosoma brucei Variant Surface Glycoprotein Switching by Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry

Detection of Trypanosoma brucei Variant Surface Glycoprotein Switching by Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry

Published on: October 19, 2016

An update on antigenic variation in African trypanosomes.

L Vanhamme¹, E Pays, R McCulloch

¹Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, IBMM, Free University of Brussels, Rue des Professeurs Jeener et Brachet 12, B-6041, Gosselies, Belgium. Ivanham@dbm.ulb.ac.be

Trends in Parasitology

|June 26, 2001

Summary

African trypanosomes evade immune detection by switching their major surface protein, the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG). This study investigates the mechanisms controlling single VSG gene expression and switching in trypanosomes.

More Related Videos

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Published on: January 27, 2019

Superior Auto-Identification of Trypanosome Parasites by Using a Hybrid Deep-Learning Model

Superior Auto-Identification of Trypanosome Parasites by Using a Hybrid Deep-Learning Model

Published on: October 27, 2023

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 28, 2026

Detection of Trypanosoma brucei Variant Surface Glycoprotein Switching by Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry

Detection of Trypanosoma brucei Variant Surface Glycoprotein Switching by Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting and Flow Cytometry

Published on: October 19, 2016

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Sexual Transmission of American Trypanosomes from Males and Females to Naive Mates

Published on: January 27, 2019

Superior Auto-Identification of Trypanosome Parasites by Using a Hybrid Deep-Learning Model

Superior Auto-Identification of Trypanosome Parasites by Using a Hybrid Deep-Learning Model

Published on: October 27, 2023

Area of Science:

Parasitology
Molecular Biology
Immunology

Background:

African trypanosomes, the causative agents of sleeping sickness, persist in mammalian hosts by evading the immune system.
The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) is the primary target of the host immune response.
Trypanosomes possess a large repertoire of VSG genes, enabling them to switch their surface coat periodically.

Purpose of the Study:

To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms governing the exclusive expression of a single VSG gene.
To understand the process by which trypanosomes switch between different VSG genes.

Main Methods:

Analysis of VSG gene expression patterns.
Investigating the role of specialized telomeric expression sites.
Exploring the molecular machinery involved in VSG gene switching.

Main Results:

Identification of regulatory elements controlling VSG gene transcription.
Characterization of the dynamic changes in VSG gene expression during infection.
Insights into the coordination of VSG gene selection and silencing.

Conclusions:

The exclusive expression of a single VSG is tightly regulated at the transcriptional level.
VSG switching is a complex process essential for trypanosome survival and immune evasion.
Understanding these mechanisms offers potential targets for therapeutic intervention.