Apicomplexa micropore: history, function, and formation.

The micropore, a mysterious structure found in apicomplexan species, was recently shown to be essential for nutrient acquisition in Plasmodium falciparum and Toxoplasma gondii. However, the differences between the micropores of these two parasites questions the nature of a general apicomplexan micropore structure and whether the formation process model from Plasmodium can be applied to other apicomplexans. We analyzed the literature on different apicomplexan micropores and found that T.

The monocarboxylate transporters are involved in the metabolism within the apicoplast and are linked to parasite survival.

The apicoplast is a four-membrane plastid found in the apicomplexans, which harbors biosynthesis and organelle housekeeping activities in the matrix. However, the mechanism driving the flux of metabolites, in and out, remains unknown. Here, we used TurboID and genome engineering to identify apicoplast transporters in .

Towards disentangling the classification of freshwater fish trypanosomes.

Unlabelled: Currently, new species of freshwater fish trypanosomes, which are economically important parasites, are being described based on subjectively selected features, i.e., their cell morphology and the host species.

Functional screening reveals prenylated proteins required for endocytic trafficking and rhoptry protein sorting.

In the apicomplexans, endocytosed cargos (e.g., hemoglobin) are trafficked to a specialized organelle for digestion.

Cryo-Electron Tomography of Toxoplasma gondii Indicates That the Conoid Fiber May Be Derived from Microtubules.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis and can infect numerous warm-blooded animals. An improved understanding of the fine structure of this parasite can help elucidate its replication mechanism.

The Toxoplasma micropore mediates endocytosis for selective nutrient salvage from host cell compartments.

Apicomplexan parasite growth and replication relies on nutrient acquisition from host cells, in which intracellular multiplication occurs, yet the mechanisms that underlie the nutrient salvage remain elusive. Numerous ultrastructural studies have documented a plasma membrane invagination with a dense neck, termed the micropore, on the surface of intracellular parasites. However, the function of this structure remains unknown.

Does the fish-infecting Trypanosoma micropteri belong to Trypanosoma carassii?

Recently, based on a limited morphological characterisation and partial 18S rRNA gene sequence, Jiang et al. (2019) described Trypanosoma micropteri Jiang, Lu, Du, Wang, Hu, Su et Li, 2019 as a new pathogen of farmed fish. Here we provide evidence based on the expanded sequence dataset, morphology and experimental infections that this trypanosome does not warrant the establishment as a new species, because it is conspecific with the long-term known Trypanosoma carassii Mitrophanow, 1883, a common haemoflagellate parasite of freshwater fish.

Inflammasome Activation Dampens Type I IFN Signaling to Strengthen Anti- Immunity.

Innate immunity acts as the first line of defense against pathogen invasion. During Toxoplasma gondii infection, multiple innate immune sensors are activated by invading microbes or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). However, how inflammasome is activated and its regulatory mechanisms during T.

Novel insertions in the mitochondrial maxicircle of , a mouse trypanosome.

is a, globally distributed, mouse-specific haemoflagellate, of the family Trypanosomatidae, which shares similar characteristics in morphology with . The kinetoplast (mitochondrial) DNA of Trypanosomatidae flagellates is comprised of catenated maxicircles and minicircles. However, genetic information on the kinetoplast remains largely unknown.

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) can be experimentally infected with both marine and freshwater fish trypanosomes.

Trypanosomes are haemoflagellates found in vertebrate species and many of them can cause death in infected hosts including fish and humans. With the development of high-density farming in marine and freshwater fish aquaculture systems, severe disease or death, caused by trypanosomiasis, has been frequently reported. However, due to the lack of a model system, particularly for marine fish trypanosomes, and a paucity in the understanding of the biology and pathogenesis of these parasites, effective treatment for fish trypanosomiasis is significantly hampered.

iNOS is essential to maintain a protective Th1/Th2 response and the production of cytokines/chemokines against Schistosoma japonicum infection in rats.

Humans and a wide range of mammals are generally susceptible to Schistosoma infection, while some rodents such as Rattus rats and Microtus spp are not. We previously demonstrated that inherent high expression levels of nitric oxide (NO), produced by inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), plays an important role in blocking the growth and development of Schistosoma japonicum in wild-type rats. However, the potential regulatory effects of NO on the immune system and immune response to S.

The Occurrence of Malignancy in by Rapid Passage in Mice.

Pleomorphic are best known for their tightly controlled cell growth and developmental program, which ensures their transmissibility and host fitness between the mammalian host and insect vector. However, after long-term adaptation in the laboratory or by natural evolution, monomorphic parasites can be derived. The origin of these monomorphic forms is currently unclear.

Species identification and phylogenetic analysis of Leishmania isolated from patients, vectors and hares in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, The People's Republic of China.

Background: Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has been declared as one of the six major tropical diseases by the World Health Organization. This disease has been successfully controlled in China, except for some areas in the western region, such as the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, where both anthroponotic VL (AVL) and desert type zoonotic VL (DT-ZVL) remain endemic with sporadic epidemics.

Methodology/principal Findings: Here, an eleven-year survey (2004-2014) of Leishmania species, encompassing both VL types isolated from patients, sand-fly vectors and Tarim hares (Lepus yarkandensis) from the Xinjiang Autonomous Region was conducted, with a special emphasis on the hares as a potential reservoir animal for DT-ZVL.

A new species of mammalian trypanosome, Trypanosoma (Megatrypanum) bubalisi sp. nov., found in the freshwater leech Hirudinaria manillensis.

Leeches have long been considered potential vectors for the aquatic lineage of trypanosomes, while bloodsucking insects are generally considered as the vectors for the terrestrial lineage of trypanosomes. The freshwater leech, Hirudinaria manillensis, is a widely distributed species in southern China and could potentially act as the vector for trypanosomes. Prior to this study, no trypanosomes had been reported from this leech.

Innate Resistance to Infection in Rat Is Dependent on NOS2.

infection causes diverse clinical manifestations in humans. The disease outcome is complicated by the combination of many host and parasite factors. Inbred mouse strains vary in resistance to but are highly susceptible to infection.

The cell wall polysaccharides of a photosynthetic relative of apicomplexans, Chromera velia.

Chromerids are a group of alveolates, found in corals, that show peculiar morphological and genomic features. These organisms are evolutionary placed in-between symbiotic dinoflagellates and parasitic apicomplexans. There are two known species of chromerids: Chromera velia and Vitrella brassicaformis.

Identification of an orally active carbazole aminoalcohol derivative with broad-spectrum anti-animal trypanosomiasis activity.

Animal trypanosomiasis, caused by the members of subgenus Trypanozoon (Trypanosoma brucei brucei, T. evansi and T. equiperdum), has reduced animal productivity leading to significant negative economic impacts in endemic regions.

Knockout of NOS2 Promotes Adipogenic Differentiation of Rat MSCs by Enhancing Activation of JAK/STAT3 Signaling.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a heterogeneous population of cells that possess multilineage differentiation potential and extensive immunomodulatory properties. In mice and rats, MSCs produce nitric oxide (NO), as immunomodulatory effector molecule that exerts an antiproliferative effect on T cells, while the role of NO in differentiation was less clear. Here, we investigated the role of NO synthase 2 (NOS2) on adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of rat MSCs.

A specific basal body linker protein provides the connection function for basal body inheritance in trypanosomes.

Centrioles and basal bodies (CBBs) are found in physically linked pairs, and in mammalian cells intercentriole connections (G1-G2 tether and S-M linker) regulate centriole duplication and function. In trypanosomes BBs are not associated with the spindle and function in flagellum/cilia nucleation with an additional role in mitochondrial genome (kinetoplast DNA [kDNA]) segregation. Here, we describe BBLP, a BB/pro-BB (pBB) linker protein in predicted to be a large coiled-coil protein conserved in the kinetoplastida.

Infection with or may promote the spread of .

Toxoplasma gondii can infect almost all warm-blooded vertebrates with pathogensis being largely influenced by the host immune status. As important epidemiological hosts, rodents are globally distributed and are also commonly found infected with haemoflagellates, such as those in the genus Trypanosoma. We here address whether and how co-infection with trypanosomes can influence T.

Novel organization of mitochondrial minicircles and guide RNAs in the zoonotic pathogen Trypanosoma lewisi.

Kinetoplastid flagellates are known for several unusual features, one of which is their complex mitochondrial genome, known as kinetoplast (k) DNA, composed of mutually catenated maxi- and minicircles. Trypanosoma lewisi is a member of the Stercorarian group of trypanosomes which is, based on human infections and experimental data, now considered a zoonotic pathogen. By assembling a total of 58 minicircle classes, which fall into two distinct categories, we describe a novel type of kDNA organization in T.

Temperature is a key factor influencing the invasion and proliferation of Toxoplasma gondii in fish cells.

Toxoplasma gondii has long been considered a ubiquitous parasite possessing the capacity of infecting virtually all warm-blooded animals globally. Occasionally, this parasite can also infect cold-blooded animals such as fish if their body temperature reaches 37 °C. However, we are currently lacking an understanding of key details such as the minimum temperature required for T.