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Exosome secretion affects social motility in Trypanosoma brucei
Dror Eliaz1, Sriram Kannan1, Hadassa Shaked1
1The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology Institute, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan Israel.
Plos Pathogens
|March 4, 2017
Summary
Stress-induced exosomes from Trypanosoma brucei transmit signals between parasites. These extracellular vesicles (EV) are secreted during stress, affecting parasite migration and communication.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Parasitology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Extracellular vesicles (EV) play diverse roles in biological processes.
- Pathogen-derived EVs are crucial for inter-organismal communication.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role and mechanism of exosome secretion in Trypanosoma brucei under stress conditions.
- To determine the functional impact of these exosomes on recipient trypanosome cells.
Main Methods:
- Induction of stress (trans-splicing perturbation, heat-shock) in Trypanosoma brucei.
- Analysis of exosome formation using endosomal sorting complexes required for transport (ESCRT) pathway components.
- Time-lapse microscopy to observe exosome uptake and effects on cell motility.
Main Results:
- Stress triggers the secretion of exosomes containing spliced leader RNA in Trypanosoma brucei.
- Exosome formation utilizes the ESCRT machinery, similar to mammalian microRNA secretion.
- Secreted exosomes are internalized by recipient cells and influence their social motility (SoMo).
Conclusions:
- Trypanosoma brucei utilizes exosomes for intercellular communication, transmitting stress signals.
- Exosomes are a mechanism for parasites to modulate the behavior of other parasites.
- This study reveals a novel pathway for stress response and communication in protozoan parasites.
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