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Pathogens
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Current Research on Trypanosoma cruzi Infection 2023
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Current Research on Trypanosoma cruzi Infection 2023

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2023) | Viewed by 3488

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Carlos Robello

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
2. Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11800, Uruguay
Interests: Trypanosoma cruzi; Leishmania; genomics; molecular parasitology; Chagas disease; Neospora caninum
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Trypanosoma cruzi is a parasitic protozoan that causes Chagas disease, a critical life-long infection in humans with high prevalence in Latin American countries. This protozoan presents a complex life cycle involving both vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. One crucial step of the life cycle is the process of infection of mammalian cells by some developmental stages of the protozoan. In this process, infective forms (trypomastigotes, transitional forms, and amastigotes) attach to the host cell surface and trigger a process of invasion involving the assembly of an endocytic vacuole known as the parasitophorous vacuole. The parasite can disrupt the membrane lining the vacuole and enter the host cell’s cytoplasm, where it multiplies several times in the form of amastigotes. Subsequently, these transform into trypomastigotes and cell rupture takes place, releasing many trypomastigotes into the intercellular space. When infection occurs in a mammalian host, the parasite induces host responses that involve the participation of different cell types with the stimulation of the production of several molecules that modulate the immune and inflammatory response, leading to lesions observed in several tissues and organs, causing Chagas disease.

This thematic Special Issue aims to present a series of reviews and original articles dealing with all aspects of Trypanosoma cruzi biology and its interaction with hosts in a broad perspective.

Prof. Dr. Carlos Robello
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Trypanosoma cruzi
  • Chagas disease
  • host–pathogen interactions
  • parasitic protozoan
  • biology

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5748 KiB  
Article
Overoxidation and Oligomerization of Trypanosoma cruzi Cytosolic and Mitochondrial Peroxiredoxins
by María Dolores Piñeyro, María Laura Chiribao, Diego G. Arias, Carlos Robello and Adriana Parodi-Talice
Pathogens 2023, 12(10), 1273; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens12101273 - 23 Oct 2023
Viewed by 984
Abstract
Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) have been shown to be important enzymes for trypanosomatids, counteracting oxidative stress and promoting cell infection and intracellular survival. In this work, we investigate the in vitro sensitivity to overoxidation and the overoxidation dynamics of Trypanosoma cruzi Prxs in parasites in [...] Read more.
Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) have been shown to be important enzymes for trypanosomatids, counteracting oxidative stress and promoting cell infection and intracellular survival. In this work, we investigate the in vitro sensitivity to overoxidation and the overoxidation dynamics of Trypanosoma cruzi Prxs in parasites in culture and in the infection context. We showed that recombinant m-TXNPx, in contrast to what was observed for c-TXNPx, exists as low molecular mass forms in the overoxidized state. We observed that T. cruzi Prxs were overoxidized in epimastigotes treated with oxidants, and a significant proportion of the overoxidized forms were still present at least 24 h after treatment suggesting that these forms are not actively reversed. In in vitro infection experiments, we observed that Prxs are overoxidized in amastigotes residing in infected macrophages, demonstrating that inactivation of at least part of the Prxs by overoxidation occurs in a physiological context. We have shown that m-TXNPx has a redox-state-dependent chaperone activity. This function may be related to the increased thermotolerance observed in m-TXNPx-overexpressing parasites. This study suggests that despite the similarity between protozoan and mammalian Prxs, T. cruzi Prxs have different oligomerization dynamics and sensitivities to overoxidation, which may have implications for their function in the parasite life cycle and infection process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research on Trypanosoma cruzi Infection 2023)
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8 pages, 1088 KiB  
Communication
Seroepidemiological Survey of Chronic Chagas Disease in a Rural Community in Southern Bahia, Brazil, Using Recombinant Chimeric Antigens
by Neci Matos Soares, Nilo Manoel Pereira Vieira Barreto, Marina Morena Brito Farias, Cíntia de Lima Oliveira, Weslei Almeida Costa Araújo, Joelma Nascimento de Souza, Márcia Cristina Aquino Teixeira, Noilson Lázaro Sousa Gonçalves, Daniel Dias Sampaio, Tycha Bianca Sabaini Pavan, Paola Alejandra Fiorani Celedon, Nilson Ivo Tonin Zanchin and Fred Luciano Neves Santos
Pathogens 2023, 12(10), 1222; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pathogens12101222 - 07 Oct 2023
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Abstract
Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease with life-threatening implications. In this study, we conducted a seroepidemiological survey to determine the prevalence and clinical profiles of CD in 217 individuals from an impoverished rural community [...] Read more.
Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected tropical disease with life-threatening implications. In this study, we conducted a seroepidemiological survey to determine the prevalence and clinical profiles of CD in 217 individuals from an impoverished rural community in Southern Bahia, Brazil. The overall prevalence of CD in the studied community was 0.92%, detected through latent class analysis (LCA). Two individuals tested positive for anti-T. cruzi IgG, both being male farmers. One case was a 22-year-old man born in Camamu, with no evidence of congenital transmission, suggesting other routes of transmission such as vector-borne transmission due to migratory activities. The other case was a 69-year-old man born in São Felipe, who had lived in an adobe/brick house and had a pacemaker due to cardiac involvement caused by CD. The prevalence in this community was lower than expected, given the socioeconomic conditions and environmental factors that contribute to T. cruzi transmission. This could be attributed to the implementation of preventive measures and vector control programs by the Brazilian Government. However, continuous monitoring and surveillance are essential to sustain control efforts and detect any potential re-emergence of the disease. While the overall prevalence was low, the detection of positive cases underscores the need for continued surveillance and control measures in vulnerable populations, such as rural communities. Active surveillance, early diagnosis, and timely treatment are crucial in preventing disease progression and complications, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of screening and treatment programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research on Trypanosoma cruzi Infection 2023)
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14 pages, 1651 KiB  
Article
Monocytes from Uninfected Neonates Born to Trypanosoma cruzi-Infected Mothers Display Upregulated Capacity to Produce TNF-α and to Control Infection in Association with Maternally Transferred Antibodies
by Amilcar Flores, Cristina Alonso-Vega, Emmanuel Hermann, Mary-Cruz Torrico, Nair Alaide Montaño Villarroel, Faustino Torrico, Yves Carlier and Carine Truyens
Pathogens 2023, 12(9), 1103; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12091103 - 29 Aug 2023
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Abstract
Activated monocytes/macrophages that produce inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide are crucial for controlling Trypanosoma cruzi infection. We previously showed that uninfected newborns from T. cruzi infected mothers (M+B- newborns) were sensitized to produce higher levels of inflammatory cytokines than newborns from uninfected mothers [...] Read more.
Activated monocytes/macrophages that produce inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide are crucial for controlling Trypanosoma cruzi infection. We previously showed that uninfected newborns from T. cruzi infected mothers (M+B- newborns) were sensitized to produce higher levels of inflammatory cytokines than newborns from uninfected mothers (M-B- newborns), suggesting that their monocytes were more activated. Thus, we wondered whether these cells might help limit congenital infection. We investigated this possibility by studying the activation status of M+B- cord blood monocytes and their ability to control T. cruzi in vitro infection. We showed that M+B- monocytes have an upregulated capacity to produce the inflammatory cytokine TNF-α and a better ability to control T. cruzi infection than M-B- monocytes. Our study also showed that T. cruzi-specific Abs transferred from the mother play a dual role by favoring trypomastigote entry into M+B- monocytes and inhibiting intracellular amastigote multiplication. These results support the possibility that some M+B- fetuses may eliminate the parasite transmitted in utero from their mothers, thus being uninfected at birth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Current Research on Trypanosoma cruzi Infection 2023)
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