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Sleeping Sickness: A Tale of Two Clocks.
Filipa Rijo-Ferreira1,2, Joseph S Takahashi1,2
1Department of Neuroscience, Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
|November 2, 2020
Summary
Sleeping sickness, caused by a parasite, disrupts host circadian rhythms and physiological processes. This review explores parasite biology, host health impacts, and potential evolutionary advantages of deregulating sleep and circadian cycles.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Chronobiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Sleeping sickness is a fatal disease caused by a eukaryotic unicellular parasite.
- The parasite infects wild animals, cattle, and humans, disrupting host physiological rhythms.
- These disrupted rhythms include hormonal secretion, temperature regulation, and sleep, all under circadian control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review research on the biology of the sleeping sickness parasite.
- To examine the impact of the parasite on host health.
- To consider potential evolutionary advantages for the parasite in deregulating host sleep and circadian rhythms.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing research on sleeping sickness.
- Analysis of parasite biology and its effects on host physiology.
- Exploration of evolutionary implications of circadian disruption.
Main Results:
- The parasite significantly disrupts host circadian rhythms.
- Disruption affects critical physiological processes like hormone secretion and temperature regulation.
- Parasite's impact on host health is severe and potentially fatal.
Conclusions:
- Understanding parasite biology is crucial for combating sleeping sickness.
- Circadian deregulation may offer evolutionary advantages to the parasite.
- Further research is needed to explore these evolutionary strategies.
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