Trypanosomes

Question 1

Tsetse fly form

Answer 1

Epimastigotes

Question 2

Human form

Answer 2

Trypomastigote

Question 3

Switch VSG by

Answer 3

Switching active expression site
Telomeric recombination
Gene conversion

Question 4

Trypanosome Lytic Factor is what part of NHS

Answer 4

HDL

Question 5

Is TLF sufficient to kill parasite?

Answer 5

Yes

Question 6

What does TLF do?

Answer 6

Hp/Hpr binds to TbHpHbR and causes lysis

Question 7

Why doesn’t the parasite get rid of TbHpHbR?

Answer 7

Parasites needs to scavenge heme for the iron it needs to grow

Question 8

What is Serum-Resistance Associated (SRA) gene?

Answer 8

Sufficient to protect from TLF by inhibiting pore formation

Question 9

What’s the extra human form for T. cruzi?

Answer 9

Amastigotes

Question 10

What do T. cruzi trypomastigotes and amastigotes do?

Answer 10

Trypomastigotes invade tissues
Amastigotes replicate and form pseudocysts

Question 11

GP85

Answer 11

Adhesin that binds lamin (ECM component) and ck18 (cytoskeletal component)

Question 12

What’s the invasin and how does it work?

Answer 12

Unknown
Requires calcium ion spike to trigger fusion of lysosomes with plasma membrane to create PV

Question 13

Trans-sialidase

Answer 13

Steals sialic acid from host which protects trypanosomes from lysis by the alternative pathway

Question 14

T. cruzi doesn’t have VSGs but what?

Answer 14

GPI-mucins

Question 15

PAMPs and PRRs

Answer 15

GPI of mucin - TLR2/4

Question 16

Host control

Answer 16

T. brucei - alternative pathway
T. cruzi - IL12 to Th1 to IFNgamma to activate macrophage to RNS