Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Trypanosome sociology and antigenic variation.

K Vickerman1

  • 1Department of Zoology, University of Glasgow.

Parasitology
|January 1, 1989
PubMed
Summary

Trypanosoma brucei evades the host immune system by switching its surface antigen, a process crucial for infection survival. High switching rates in tsetse fly-transmitted infections may influence the order and timing of variant emergence.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Isolation and ultrastructural features of a new strain of Dimastigella trypaniformis Sandon 1928 (Bodonina, Kinetoplastida) and comparison with a previously isolated strain.

European journal of protistology·2012
Same author

Estimating the growth potential of the soil protozoan community.

Protist·2000
Same author

Protozoan paradigms for cell biology.

Journal of cell science·1999
Same author

In vitro cultivation and developmental cycle in culture of a parasitic dinoflagellate (Hematodinium sp.) associated with mortality of the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) in British waters.

Parasitology·1998
Same author

Presence of apicomplexan-type micropores in a parasitic dinoflagellate, Hematodinium sp.

Parasitology research·1996
Same author

The evolutionary expansion of the trypanosomatid flagellates.

International journal for parasitology·1994

Area of Science:

  • Parasitology
  • Immunology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Trypanosoma brucei survives in mammals by sequentially expressing different surface antigens, evading host immune responses.
  • This antigenic variation involves switching gene expression to present new glycoprotein coats.
  • The order and pacing of variant expression (homotype succession) are critical for sustained infection but not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the factors determining the order and pacing of antigenic variant expression in Trypanosoma brucei.
  • To understand how gene regulation, genomic location, and growth characteristics influence variant succession.
  • To reconcile variable antigen switching rates between different transmission routes.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of trypanosome population dynamics and immune stimulation in mammalian hosts.
  • Review of factors influencing gene expression, including genomic location and regulatory mechanisms.
  • Comparison of variable antigen switching frequencies in syringe-passed versus tsetse fly-transmitted infections.

Main Results:

  • Variable antigen gene expression location and mode may influence the frequency of switching and homotype succession.
  • Differences in variant doubling times and differentiation rates into stumpy forms could affect when a variant becomes dominant.
  • Tsetse fly transmission shows significantly higher switching rates (0.97-2.2 x 10^-3) than syringe passage (10^-5-10^-7).

Conclusions:

  • Most variable antigen genes are likely expressed early in tsetse-transmitted infections.
  • High switching rates in tsetse-transmitted infections may delay the dominance of certain variants.
  • The instability of expression in metacyclic trypanosomes contributes to complex variant dynamics.

Related Experiment Videos