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Host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi: a unique strategy that promotes persistence

Maria Cecilia Fernandes1, Norma W Andrews

  • 1Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-5815, USA.

FEMS Microbiology Reviews
|February 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite causing Chagas' disease, invades host cells by hijacking a cellular repair pathway. This mechanism may explain its preference for heart muscle and long-term persistence in patients.

Area of Science:

  • Parasitology
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Chagas' disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions in Latin America.
  • Despite immunity, parasites persist, leading to cardiomyopathy and sudden death.
  • The parasite's tropism for cardiac muscle remains debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent findings on Trypanosoma cruzi cell invasion.
  • To explore the role of plasma membrane repair pathways in Chagas' disease pathology.
  • To understand the basis of parasite tissue tropism and persistence.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on Trypanosoma cruzi invasion mechanisms.
  • Analysis of cellular pathways involved in plasma membrane repair.
  • Correlation of invasion mechanisms with observed tissue tropism.

Main Results:

  • Trypanosoma cruzi invades host cells by subverting plasma membrane repair pathways.
  • Muscle cells exhibit high prevalence of plasma membrane injury and repair.
  • This invasion mechanism offers a potential explanation for cardiac tropism.

Conclusions:

  • Parasite subversion of host cell plasma membrane repair is key to invasion.
  • This mechanism likely determines Trypanosoma cruzi tissue tropism and persistence.
  • Understanding this pathway is crucial for Chagas' disease pathology research.

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