Interactome: Smart hematophagous triatomine salivary gland molecules counteract human hemostasis during meal acquisition.

Human populations are constantly plagued by hematophagous insects' bites, in particular the triatomine insects that are vectors of the Trypanosoma cruzi agent in Chagas disease. The pharmacologically-active molecules present in the salivary glands of hematophagous insects are injected into the human skin to initiate acquisition of blood meals. Sets of vasodilators, anti-platelet aggregators, anti-coagulants, immunogenic polypeptides, anesthetics, odorants, antibiotics, and detoxifying molecules have been disclosed with the aid of proteomics and recombinant cDNA techniques.

Environment, interactions between Trypanosoma cruzi and its host, and health.

An epidemiological chain involving Trypanosoma cruzi is discussed at the environmental level, and in terms of fine molecular interactions in invertebrate and vertebrate hosts dwelling in different ecosystems. This protozoan has a complex, genetically controlled plasticity, which confers adaptation to approximately 40 blood-sucking triatomine species and to over 1,000 mammalian species, fulfilling diverse metabolic requirements in its complex life-cycle. The Tr.

Triatoma infestans chooses to feed upon immune prey.

Blood-feeding Triatoma infestans obtained its fills from immune chickens in 15 min, but it needed 40 min for feeding upon non-immune chickens. High-titer specific IgGs and skin reactivity against T. infestans saliva antigens were elicited in immune chickens.