Department of Biological Science, College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, California State University Fullerton, 800 N State College Blvd, McCarthy Hall 307, 92831 Fullerton, CA, USA.
Res Microbiol. 2014 Apr;165(3):155-65. doi: 10.1016/j.resmic.2014.01.006. Epub 2014 Feb 6.
Protozoan parasites have a significant impact upon global health, infecting millions of people around the world. With limited therapeutic options and no vaccines available, research efforts are focused upon unraveling cellular mechanisms essential for parasite survival. During its life cycle, Trypanosoma cruzi, the causal agent of Chagas disease, is exposed to multiple external conditions and different hosts. Environmental cues are linked to the differentiation process allowing the parasite to complete its life cycle. Successful transmission depends on the ability of the cells to trigger adaptive responses and cope with stressors while regulating proliferation and transition to different life stages. This review focuses upon different aspects of the stress response in T. cruzi, proposing new hypotheses regarding cross-talk and cross-tolerance with respect to environmental changes and discussing open questions and future directions.
原生动物寄生虫对全球健康有重大影响，感染了全球数百万人。由于治疗选择有限，而且没有可用的疫苗，因此研究工作的重点是揭示寄生虫生存所必需的细胞机制。在生命周期中，克氏锥虫，恰加斯病的病原体，暴露于多种外部条件和不同的宿主。环境线索与分化过程有关，使寄生虫能够完成其生命周期。成功的传播取决于细胞触发适应性反应并应对压力源的能力，同时调节增殖和过渡到不同的生命阶段。本综述集中讨论了 T. cruzi 应激反应的不同方面，提出了关于环境变化的交叉对话和交叉耐受的新假设，并讨论了未解决的问题和未来的方向。
