Review
Oncology
Paulius Gibieza, Vilma Petrikait
Summary: Actin plays a critical role in regulating cell division and its dynamics control is altered in malignancy, affecting the success of cell division process.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CANCER RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Caroline E. Dewar, Aitor Casas-Sanchez, Constentin Dieme, Aline Crouzols, Lee R. Haines, Alvaro Acosta-Serrano, Brice Rotureau, Achim Schnaufer
Summary: This study demonstrates that efficient energy production through mitochondria is critical for the trypanosome's swimming ability and migration within the tsetse fly. Surprisingly, trypanosomes with impaired mitochondrial energy production are only mildly compromised in their ability to colonize the tsetse fly midgut. This study provides new insights into the complex mechanisms of trypanosome infection in tsetse flies.
Review
Immunology
Nava Raj Poudyal, Kimberly S. Paul
Summary: This review discusses the availability and uptake mechanisms of fatty acids in Trypanosoma brucei. Fatty acids can be synthesized by the parasite or acquired from the host's surroundings. Fatty acids are crucial for the growth and survival of the parasite and are implicated in the survival of specific proteins. The relative contribution of parasite-derived and host-derived fatty acids to T. brucei biology and the molecular mechanisms of fatty acid uptake are still poorly understood.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Caroline E. Dewar, Aitor Casas-Sanchez, Constentin Dieme, Aline Crouzols, Lee R. Haines, Alvaro Acosta-Serrano, Brice Rotureau, Achim Schnaufer
Summary: The single-celled parasite Trypanosoma brucei is transmitted by tsetse flies and its development in the fly's gut depends on efficient energy production by mitochondria.
Article
Entomology
Zhiyuan Yang, Mai Shi, Xiaoli Zhang, Danyu Yao
Summary: This study dissected the genomic and transcriptomic profiles of T. brucei, identifying a panel of pathogenic proteins and microRNAs. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the parasite-host interaction mechanisms and provide new insights for designing preventive and therapeutic strategies for African trypanosomiasis.
Article
Immunology
Nestor L. Uzcategui, Sena Gucer, Cris Richter, Annika Speidel, Elizabeta Zirdum, Michael Duszenko, Olga Garaschuk, Katherine Figarella
Summary: Our study revealed the early involvement of microglia in Trypanosoma brucei infection before invasion of the CNS. We found that microglia have an exceptional capability to inhibit parasite proliferation inside the brain in areas of initial homeostatic disruption near brain barriers. Additionally, early signs of inflammation in the meninges synchronized with the microglial response, along with a massive infiltration of peripheral immune cells into the parenchyma during the final disease stage.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Fatihu Ahmad Rufa'i, Daniel Baecker, Muhammad Dauda Mukhtar
Summary: Trypanosomiasis is a serious disease that affects humans and animals, causing social and economic losses. Researchers investigated the phytochemical screening of a methanolic extract of Garcinia kola nuts and evaluated its biological activity on rats infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. The extract showed evident efficacy based on physiological changes and survival rates.
Letter
Biology
Keith R. Matthews, Stephen Larcombe
Summary: The study finds that both slender and stumpy forms of trypanosomes can infect tsetse flies, but stumpy forms are more likely to be successful. Stumpy forms are defined by molecular adaptations for life-cycle progression and dominate in chronic infections.
Article
Microbiology
Richard S. Muniz, Paul C. Campbell, Thomas E. Sladewski, Lars D. Renner, Christopher L. de Graffenried
Summary: Researchers have developed a method for long-term live-cell imaging of Trypanosoma brucei using agarose microwells, allowing high spatial and temporal resolution imaging of cell division and monitoring of cell toxicity. With this approach, they found that asymmetric daughter cells produced during T. brucei division divide at different rates.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Miebaka Jamabo, Maduma Mahlalela, Adrienne L. L. Edkins, Aileen Boshoff
Summary: Human African trypanosomiasis, caused by Trypanosoma brucei, is a neglected tropical disease targeted for eradication by 2030. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted control programs, extending the time frame. Vaccine development has been challenging due to antigenic variation and B cell depletion. Control relies on screening and drugs, with fexinidazole being a recent major breakthrough. Diagnosis, compliance, and resistance pose challenges, while ongoing drug discovery and addressing eradication challenges are discussed.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Arunima Goswami, Tirthankar Koley, Madhan Vishal Rajan, Pathak Madhuri, Neelam Upadhyay, Uddipan Das, Manoj Kumar, Abdul Samath Ethayathulla, Gururao Hariprasad
Summary: This study found that Leishmania donovani, Trypanosoma cruzi, and Trypanosoma brucei, which are protozoan parasites, cause leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, and sleeping sickness, respectively. It was found that PAF-AH is an inflammatory protein involved in the pathogenesis of these three infections, making it an attractive drug target.
INFECTION AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Lia Mara Gomes Paim, Greg FitzHarris
Summary: This study investigates the dynamics of furrow ingression in early mouse embryos during cell division. It finds that cell size is an important determinant of furrow ingression speed, and the emergence of cell polarity and assembly of the apical domain negatively regulate furrow ingression on one side. The study reveals that cell polarity directly regulates the recruitment of cytokinetic machinery in a cell-autonomous manner.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sandra Trindade, Mariana De Niz, Mariana Costa-Sequeira, Tiago Bizarra-Rebelo, Fabio Bento, Mario Dejung, Marta Valido Narciso, Lara Lopez-Escobar, Joo Ferreira, Falk Butter, Frederic Bringaud, Erida Gjini, Luisa M. Figueiredo
Summary: A study found that Trypanosoma brucei parasites undergo rewiring of gene expression when colonizing adipose tissue. Mathematical modeling and experiments confirmed that parasites in adipose tissue proliferate slower and have heterogeneous doubling times. Additionally, slow-growing parasites in adipose tissue are resistant to drug treatment.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Justin A. Davis, Andres V. Reyes, Arpita Saha, Donald J. Wolfgeher, Shou-Ling Xu, Andrew W. Truman, Bibo Li, Kausik Chakrabarti
Summary: Telomerase is an enzyme responsible for maintaining the telomeres of chromosomes. It consists of two main components, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) and telomerase RNA (TR). TR, a long non-coding RNA, provides the template for telomeric DNA synthesis. In this study, the interactome of TbTERT from Trypanosoma brucei was identified, revealing unique interactions and suggesting differences in telomere maintenance compared to other eukaryotes.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Kirsten J. Meyer, Theresa A. Shapiro
Summary: The study found that Hsp90 plays a central role as molecular chaperones in African trypanosomes, with unique functions in cell cycle regulation and kinetoplast DNA replication revealed through knockdown of cytosolic and mitochondrial Hsp90s.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kieu T. M. Pham, Ziyin Li
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2020)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasuhiro Kurasawa, Tai An, Ziyin Li
Article
Biology
Kyu Joon Lee, Ziyin Li
Summary: This study identifies the CRK2-CYC13 complex as an S-phase regulator in T. brucei and reveals its role in regulating DNA replication through promoting the assembly of the Cdc45-Mcm2-7-GINS complex. The findings suggest that T. brucei may utilize unique mechanisms for DNA replication compared to other organisms, as it lacks many conserved DNA replication factors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tai An, Huiqing Hu, Ziyin Li
Summary: KPP1 regulates the activity of TbPLK by dephosphorylating it at Thr125, preventing hyperphosphorylation of TbCentrin2 and ensuring proper flagellum positioning and attachment in Trypanosoma brucei.
Editorial Material
Immunology
Catherine J. Merrick, Sabrina Absalon, Mathieu Brochet, Ziyin Li, Elena S. Suvorova
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Xiao-Li Cai, Su-Jin Li, Peng Zhang, Ziyin Li, Geoff Hide, De-Hua Lai, Zhao-Rong Lun
Summary: This study generated a series of monomorphic trypanosome stocks by artificially syringe-passage in mice and compared them with naturally monomorphic trypanosomes. The results showed that laboratory-adapted monomorphic trypanosomes could still differentiate, while naturally monomorphic strains completely failed to differentiate. These findings provide new insights into the origin of naturally monomorphic strains and suggest potential risks associated with the malignant evolution of trypanosomes.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qing Zhou, Huiqing Hu, Ziyin Li
Summary: This study investigates the role of the orphan kinesin KLIF in cleavage furrow ingression and identifies a group of cytoskeletal proteins associated with KLIF as essential regulators of cytokinesis. Depletion of KLIF impairs the resolution of the nascent posterior of the old-flagellar daughter cell, leading to a blockade of cleavage furrow ingression. Proximity biotinylation further identifies a subset of cytoskeleton-associated proteins as KLIF-proximal proteins, with CAP46 and CAP52 crucial for positioning the cleavage furrow while CAP42 and CAP50 promote furrow ingression.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Yasuhiro Kurasawa, Kyu Joon Lee, Ziyin Li
Summary: This study revealed the functional roles and interplay of structural motifs in the trypanosome-specific cytokinesis regulator CIF3, shedding light on the cooperative roles of cytokinesis regulators in promoting cytokinesis in Trypanosoma brucei.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kieu T. M. Pham, Qing Zhou, Kyu Joon Lee, Ziyin Li
Summary: The parasite Trypanosoma brucei has a motile flagellum that plays crucial roles in cell division, morphology control, and cell-cell communication. The microtubule quartet (MtQ) originates from the basal body and extends towards the anterior of the cell, regulating the positioning of the new flagellum.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yasuhiro Kurasawa, Kyu Joon Lee, Huiqing Hu, Kieu T. M. Pham, Ziyin Li
Summary: The study demonstrates that TbPLK and TbAUK1 phosphorylate the cytokinesis regulators CIF1 and CIF2 in Trypanosoma brucei. TbPLK interacts with CIF1 in S/G2 phases, maintaining its localization until early mitosis; TbAUK1 maintains CIF1 and CIF2 localization from late mitosis.
Article
Microbiology
Kyu Joon R. Lee, Qing Zhou, Ziyin R. Li
Summary: The S-phase cyclin-dependent kinase-cyclin complex CRK2-CYC13 regulates microtubule dynamics in Trypanosoma brucei by phosphorylating beta-tubulin to restrict excessive microtubule extension, thereby maintaining cytoskeleton architecture.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thiago Souza Onofre, Kieu T. M. Pham, Qing Zhou, Ziyin Li
Summary: This study reveals the role of the protein SNAP1 in coordinating with TbSpef1 and NHL1 to facilitate flagellum positioning and cell division plane placement for the completion of cytokinesis in Trypanosoma brucei.
JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)