Mechanism of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense resistance to human serum.

The African parasite Trypanosoma brucei gambiense accounts for 97% of human sleeping sickness cases. T. b.

A haptoglobin-hemoglobin receptor conveys innate immunity to Trypanosoma brucei in humans.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei is lysed by apolipoprotein L-I, a component of human high-density lipoprotein (HDL) particles that are also characterized by the presence of haptoglobin-related protein. We report that this process is mediated by a parasite glycoprotein receptor, which binds the haptoglobin-hemoglobin complex with high affinity for the uptake and incorporation of heme into intracellular hemoproteins. In mice, this receptor was required for optimal parasite growth and the resistance of parasites to the oxidative burst by host macrophages.

Human Trypanosoma evansi infection linked to a lack of apolipoprotein L-I.

Humans have innate immunity against Trypanosoma brucei brucei that is known to involve apolipoprotein L-I (APOL1). Recently, a case of T. evansi infection in a human was identified in India.

Apolipoprotein L-I promotes trypanosome lysis by forming pores in lysosomal membranes.

Apolipoprotein L-I is the trypanolytic factor of human serum. Here we show that this protein contains a membrane pore-forming domain functionally similar to that of bacterial colicins, flanked by a membrane-addressing domain. In lipid bilayer membranes, apolipoprotein L-I formed anion channels.

Loss of the mono-allelic control of the VSG expression sites during the development of Trypanosoma brucei in the bloodstream.

Transcription of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene of Trypanosoma brucei occurs in a single of multiple polycistronic expression sites (ESs). Analysis of RNA from proliferative long slender (LS) bloodstream forms demonstrated that initiation of transcription occurs in different ESs, but inefficient RNA processing and elongation is linked to RNA polymerase arrest in all except one unit at a time. The pattern of ES transcripts was analysed during the transformation of dividing LS forms into quiescent short stumpy (SS) forms.

Apolipoprotein L-I is the trypanosome lytic factor of human serum.

Human sleeping sickness in east Africa is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. The basis of this pathology is the resistance of these parasites to lysis by normal human serum (NHS). Resistance to NHS is conferred by a gene that encodes a truncated form of the variant surface glycoprotein termed serum resistance associated protein (SRA).

Antibodies raised against the flagellar pocket fraction of Trypanosoma brucei preferentially recognize HSP60 in cDNA expression library.

A purified flagellar pocket fraction of the Trypanosoma brucei AnTat 1.1E clone was used for the generation of polyclonal antiserum in rats. Anti-flagellar pocket antibodies present in this serum recognized several proteins distinct from the major variant surface glycoprotein (VSG).

A transcript encoding a proteasome beta-subunit and a zinc finger protein in Trypanosoma brucei brucei.

During the screening of a Trypanosoma brucei brucei (T. b. brucei) cDNA library constructed from bloodstream form mRNA, we identified a 2.

Differential RNA elongation controls the variant surface glycoprotein gene expression sites of Trypanosoma brucei.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei develops antigenic variation to escape the immune response of its host. To this end, the trypanosome genome contains multiple telomeric expression sites competent for transcription of variant surface glycoprotein genes, but as a rule only a single antigen is expressed at any time. We used reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) to analyse transcription of different segments of the expression sites in different variant clones of two independent strains of T.

A role for the dynamic acylation of a cluster of cysteine residues in regulating the activity of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C of Trypanosoma brucei.

The glycosylphosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C or VSG lipase is the enzyme responsible for the cleavage of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and concomitant release of the surface coat in Trypanosoma brucei during osmotic shock or extracellular acidic stress. In Xenopus laevis oocytes the VSG lipase was expressed as a nonacylated and a thioacylated form. This thioacylation occurred within a cluster of three cysteine residues but was not essential for catalytic activity per se.

Characterization of a Trypanosoma brucei SR domain-containing protein bearing homology to cis-spliceosomal U1 70 kDa proteins.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei relies on trans-splicing of a common spliced leader (SL) RNA to maturate mRNAs. Using the yeast two-hybrid system a protein (TSR1IP) was identified that interacts with the T. brucei serine-arginine (SR) protein termed TSR1.

Characterization of a novel alanine-rich protein located in surface microdomains in Trypanosoma brucei.

Heterologous expression in COS cells followed by orientation-specific polymerase chain reaction to select and amplify cDNAs encoding surface proteins in Trypanosoma brucei resulted in the isolation of a cDNA ( approximately 1.4 kilobase) which encodes an acidic, alanine-rich polypeptide that is expressed only in bloodstream forms of the parasite and has been termed bloodstream stage alanine-rich protein (BARP). Analysis of the amino acid sequence predicted the presence of a typical NH(2)-terminal leader sequence as well as a COOH-terminal hydrophobic extension with the potential to be replaced by a glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor.

Characterization of a SR protein from Trypanosoma brucei with homology to RNA-binding cis-splicing proteins.

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei relies on trans-splicing to process its mRNAs. A novel nuclear serine/arginine (SR)-rich trypanosomal protein (TSR1) was characterized which contains two RNA recognition motifs. The TSR1 protein appears to be homologous to RNA-binding SR proteins of the cis-splicing machinery from higher eukaryotes.

A VSG expression site-associated gene confers resistance to human serum in Trypanosoma rhodesiense.

Infectivity of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense to humans is due to its resistance to a lytic factor present in human serum. In the ETat 1 strain this character was associated with antigenic variation, since expression of the ETat 1.10 variant surface glycoprotein was required to generate resistant (R) clones.

Characterization of the ligand-binding site of the transferrin receptor in Trypanosoma brucei demonstrates a structural relationship with the N-terminal domain of the variant surface glycoprotein.

The Trypanosoma brucei transferrin (Tf) receptor is a heterodimer encoded by ESAG7 and ESAG6, two genes contained in the different polycistronic transcription units of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene. The sequence of ESAG7/6 differs slightly between different units, so that receptors with different affinities for Tf are expressed alternatively following transcriptional switching of VSG expression sites during antigenic variation of the parasite. Based on the sequence homology between pESAG7/6 and the N-terminal domain of VSGs, it can be predicted that the four blocks containing the major sequence differences between pESAG7 and pESAG6 form surface-exposed loops and generate the ligand-binding site.

Characterization of a novel, stage-specific, invariant surface protein in Trypanosoma brucei containing an internal, serine-rich, repetitive motif.

A new surface membrane protein, invariant surface glycoprotein termed ISG100, was identified in Trypanosoma brucei, using catalyzed surface, radioiodination of intact cells. This integral membrane glycoprotein was purified by a combination of detergent extraction, lectin-affinity, and ion-exchange chromatography followed by preparative SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The protein was expressed only in bloodstream forms of the parasite, was heavily N-glycosylated, and was present in different clonal variants of the same serodeme as well as in different serodemes.

Characterization of a transcription terminator of the procyclin PARP A unit of Trypanosoma brucei.

The polycistronic procylcin PARP (for procyclic acidic repetitive protein) A transcription unit of Trypanosoma brucei was completely characterized by the mapping of the termination region. In addition to the tandem of procyclin genes and GRESAG 2.1, this 7.

Specific binding of proteins to the noncoding strand of a crucial element of the variant surface glycoprotein, procyclin, and ribosomal promoters of trypanosoma brucei.

The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and procyclin promoters of Trypanosoma brucei recruit an RNA polymerase sharing characteristic with polymerase I, but there is no sequence homology between them nor between these promoters and ribosomal promoters. We report the detailed characterization of the VSG promoter. The 70-bp region upstream of the transcription start site was sufficient for full promoter activity.

The 3'-terminal region of the mRNAs for VSG and procyclin can confer stage specificity to gene expression in Trypanosoma brucei.

The variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and procyclin are the respective major surface antigens of the bloodstream and the procyclic forms of Trypanosoma brucei. These proteins and their mRNAs are both the most abundant and absolutely characteristic of their respective life cycle stages. We show that the 3'-terminal region of these mRNAs regulates expression of a reporter gene in an inverse manner, depending on the developmental form of the parasite.

Cytogenetic biomonitoring of a population of children allegedly exposed to environmental pollutants. Phase 2: Results of a three-year longitudinal study.

Our previous cytogenetic biomonitoring of a group of inhabitants in a village (Mellery, Belgium) where exposure to a mixture of toxic environmental pollutants, (probably originating from a neighbouring chemical waste disposal site) was suspected, showed that difference in the SCE and HFC bioassays was more pronounced for children. The results of follow-up study in 1992 confirmed this surprising conclusion by an even higher incidence. As very few studies have been performed on the levels of children's biomarkers, this group of exposed populations needed to be explored further.

Cytogenetic monitoring of a village population potentially exposed to a low level of environmental pollutants. Phase 1:SCE analysis.

By analogy to the techniques applied for monitoring biological effects of exposure to genotoxic agents in occupational populations, we have carried out cytogenetic monitoring in a group of inhabitants of a village (Mellery, Belgium) suspected to have been exposed to a variety of toxic environmental pollutants. These pollutants probably originated from a neighboring chemical wastes site. A group of 51 environmentally exposed and 52 reference persons (including children) were examined for the frequency of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCE) in their peripheral blood lymphocytes.

The actin gene promoter of Trypanosoma brucei.

The actin genes of Trypanosoma brucei are transcribed constitutively during the parasite life-cycle, by a polymerase sensitive to alpha-amanitin. The start region of the actin gene transcription unit was mapped by virtue of the accumulation of promoter-proximal transcripts which occurs following moderate UV irradiation. This region, located about 4 kilobases upstream from the genes, was able to direct transient expression of the bacterial Chloramphenicol Acetyl Transferase (CAT) gene in both bloodstream and procyclic forms of the parasite.

A similar gene is shared by both the variant surface glycoprotein and procyclin gene transcription units of Trypanosoma brucei.

The genes for the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) and procyclin are expressed in a mutually exclusive manner during the life cycle of Trypanosoma brucei and synthesize the most abundant mRNAs specific to the bloodstream and procyclic stages of the parasite, respectively. Genes belonging to the polycistronic transcription unit of the VSG gene (expression site-associated genes [ESAGs]) are uniquely expressed in the bloodstream form, but some members of ESAG families (genes related to ESAGs [GRESAGs]) are independently transcribed outside the VSG gene expression site. We report here that a gene related to ESAG 2, GRESAG 2.

Differential expression of a family of putative adenylate/guanylate cyclase genes in Trypanosoma brucei.

The expression site for the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene of Trypanosoma brucei contains several genes of unknown function (ESAGs, for expression site-associated genes). Among these, ESAG 4 shows homology to eukaryotic adenylate/guanylate cyclase genes, in the region encoding the presumptive enzyme catalytic domain. This gene belongs to a family of related sequences, and hybridizes to the genomic DNA of other trypanosomatids, such as Trypanosoma congolense, Trypanosoma vivax and Trypanosoma mega.