TcTASV: A Novel Protein Family in Trypanosoma cruzi Identified from a Subtractive Trypomastigote cDNA Library

摘要

Chagas' disease, caused by the kinetoplastid protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in Latin America. At present there are neither vaccines for prevention nor totally effective drugs for the treatment of the disease. T. cruzi has a complex life cycle alternating between a reduviid insect (the vector) and a mammalian host, where different parasite stages are found. Differentially expressed genes are the hallmark of the specialized biology of each life cycle stage. The aim of this work was to identify genes expressed in the trypomastigote stage (a blood-circulating stage that invades new cells and spreads the infection in different organs of the mammalian host) that could be used to develop new vaccines or diagnostics. An initial screening of trypomastigote transcripts was performed by sequencing of an epimastigote-subtracted trypomastigote cDNA library. Besides identifying a large proportion of differentially expressed mRNAs, we discovered a novel protein family, which we denominated TcTASV.