The Social Life of African Trypanosomes. Issue 10 (October 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Imhof, Simon; Roditi, Isabel
• Is Part Of: Trends in parasitology. Volume 31:Issue 10(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 490
• Page End: 498
• Publication Date: 2015-10
• Subjects: Parasitology -- Periodicals; Parasitology -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Parasitology; Biology; Parasitologie -- Périodiques; Online resources; 571.999
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2015.06.012
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-4922

Abstract

Abstract : The unicellular parasite Trypanosoma brucei shuttles between its definitive host, the tsetse fly, and various mammals including humans. In the fly digestive tract, T. brucei must first migrate to the ectoperitrophic space, establish a persistent infection of the midgut and then migrate to the salivary glands before being transmitted to a new mammalian host. In 2010, it was shown that insect stages of the parasite (procyclic forms) exhibit social motility (SoMo) when cultured on a semi-solid surface, and it was postulated that this behaviour might reflect a migration step in the tsetse fly. Now, almost 5 years after the initial report, several new publications shed some light on the biological function of SoMo and provide insights into the underlying signalling pathways. Trends: Trypanosoma brucei is a unicellular parasite that cycles between tsetse flies and mammals; it is the causative agent of human sleeping sickness and one form of the cattle disease Nagana. Early procyclic forms are found in the midgut in the first week after trypanosomes are transmitted to tsetse flies; these differentiate to late procyclic forms that persistently infect the midgut. Early procyclic forms exhibit social behaviour, manifested as coordinated group migration, when cultured on a semi-solid surface. Late procyclic forms do not migrate under these conditions. cAMP is a key signalling molecule regulating social motility A mutant with defects in social motility shows impaired colonisation of the fly midgut.