Differentiation is a central aspect of the parasite life cycle and encompasses adaptation to both host and environment. If we accept that evolution cannot anticipate an organism's needs as it enters a new environment, how do parasite differentiation pathways arise? The transition between vertebrate and insect stage African trypanosomes is probably one of the better studied and involves a cell-cycle arrested or 'stumpy' form that activates metabolic pathways advantageous to the parasite in the insect host. However, a range of stimuli and stress conditions can trigger similar changes, leading to formation of stumpy-like cellular states. We propose that the origin and optimisation of this differentiation program represents repurposing of a generic stress response to gain considerable gain-of-fitness associated with parasite transmission.
WHO technical report series ; no. 739
127 s. : il., tab. ; 20 cm
- MeSH
- Epidemiology organization & administration MeSH
- Communicable Disease Control MeSH
- Parasitology MeSH
- Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
- Trypanosoma isolation & purification classification metabolism pathogenicity growth & development drug effects MeSH
- Trypanosomiasis, African diagnosis drug therapy physiopathology pathology MeSH
- Conspectus
- Patologie. Klinická medicína
- NML Fields
- infekční lékařství
- NML Publication type
- publikace WHO
