McCulloch, Richard, Cobbold, Christina A, Figueiredo, Luisa, Jackson, Andrew 
ORCID: 0000-0002-5704-8596, Morrison, Liam J ORCID: 0000-0002-8304-9066, Mugnier, Monica R, Papavasiliou, Nina, Schnaufer, Achim ORCID: 0000-0003-2132-5560 and Matthews, Keith ORCID: 0000-0003-0309-9184
(2017)
Emerging challenges in understanding trypanosome antigenic variation.
Emerging topics in life sciences, 1 (6).
pp. 585-592.
Abstract
Many pathogens evade host immunity by periodically changing the proteins they express on their surface - a phenomenon termed antigenic variation. An extreme form of antigenic variation, based around switching the composition of a Variant Surface Glycoprotein (VSG) coat, is exhibited by the African trypanosome <i>Trypanosoma brucei</i>, which causes human disease. The molecular details of VSG switching in <i>T. brucei</i> have been extensively studied over the last three decades, revealing in increasing detail the machinery and mechanisms by which VSG expression is controlled and altered. However, several key components of the models of <i>T. brucei</i> antigenic variation that have emerged have been challenged through recent discoveries. These discoveries include new appreciation of the importance of gene mosaics in generating huge levels of new VSG variants, the contributions of parasite development and body compartmentation in the host to the infection dynamics and, finally, potential differences in the strategies of antigenic variation and host infection used by the crucial livestock trypanosomes <i>T. congolense</i> and <i>T. vivax</i>. This review will discuss all these observations, which raise questions regarding how secure the existing models of trypanosome antigenic variation are. In addition, we will discuss the importance of continued mathematical modelling to understand the purpose of this widespread immune survival process.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | Infectious Diseases, Vector-Borne Diseases, 2.2 Factors relating to the physical environment, 2 Aetiology, Infection, 3 Good Health and Well Being |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 04 Dec 2020 10:23 |
| Last Modified: | 14 Mar 2024 19:12 |
| DOI: | 10.1042/etls20170104 |
| Open Access URL: | https://portlandpress.com/emergtoplifesci/article/... |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3109178 |
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