Extracellular vesicles released by Trypanosoma evansi: induction analysis and proteomics

Trypanosoma evansi is a unicellular protozoan responsible for causing a disease known as "surra," which is found in different regions of the world and primarily affects horses and camels. Few information is known about virulence factors released from the parasite within the animals. The organism can secrete extracellular vesicles (EVs), which transport a variety of molecules, including proteins. Before being considered exclusively as a means for eliminating unwanted substances, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as key players in intercellular communication, facilitating interactions between cells, host cells, and parasites, and even between parasites themselves. Thus, they may be used as potential biomarkers. This study aimed to assess the induction of EVs production by Ca⁺², conduct a proteomic analysis of the EVs released by T. evansi, and identify epitopes that could serve as biomarkers. The findings indicated that Ca⁺² is not an effective promoter of vesiculation in T. evansi. Furthermore, the proteomic analysis has identified multiple proteins that have been investigated as biomarkers or vaccine antigens, previously. A total of 442 proteins were identified, with 7 of them specifically recognizing 9 epitopes that are unique to T. evansi. At least one of these epitopes of TevSTIB805.9.11580 have been previously identified, which increases the possibility of further investigating its potential as a biomarker.