Harrison Ruby E, Vogel Kevin J, Etheridge Ronald Drew
Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America.
Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America.
PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2025 Mar 12;19(3):e0012906. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012906. eCollection 2025 Mar.
Trypanosoma cruzi is a single-celled eukaryotic parasite responsible for Chagas disease, a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Central and South America. While the host-pathogen interactions of T. cruzi have been extensively studied in vertebrate models, investigations into its interactions within its insect host remain limited. To address this gap and establish a genetically tractable system for studying parasite-vector dynamics, we conducted quantitative kinetic infection studies using the Y strain of T. cruzi and the model vector Rhodnius prolixus. We began by comparing parasite infection kinetics from two genetically diverse strains of T. cruzi, Brazil and Y, and demonstrated that ingested parasites from both strains transiently expand in the anterior regions of the insect digestive tract with stable colonization occurring in the hindgut over the long term. Notably, we demonstrated that the clonal Y strain, contrary to previous reports, can effectively infect and persist across multiple developmental stages of R. prolixus. Additionally, comparison of movement of parasites versus inert fluorescent microspheres introduced into artificial blood meals suggests that T. cruzi colonization of the R. prolixus gut occurs passively through peristaltic movement during digestion, rather than through active parasite-mediated chemotaxis. These findings highlight the T. cruzi Y strain - R. prolixus model system as a promising tool for the in-depth molecular characterization of parasite-vector interactions, potentially offering new insights into the biology of this neglected and deadly human pathogen.
克氏锥虫是一种单细胞真核寄生虫，可引发恰加斯病，这是中南美洲发病和死亡的主要原因。虽然克氏锥虫与宿主的相互作用已在脊椎动物模型中得到广泛研究，但对其在昆虫宿主体内相互作用的研究仍然有限。为了填补这一空白并建立一个用于研究寄生虫与载体动态的遗传易处理系统，我们使用克氏锥虫Y株和模型载体南美锥蝽进行了定量动力学感染研究。我们首先比较了克氏锥虫两个遗传不同菌株巴西株和Y株的寄生虫感染动力学，并证明从这两个菌株摄入的寄生虫在昆虫消化道前部短暂扩增，而后肠长期发生稳定定植。值得注意的是，我们证明与先前报道相反，克隆Y株能够有效感染并在南美锥蝽的多个发育阶段持续存在。此外，将寄生虫的运动与引入人工血餐中的惰性荧光微球的运动进行比较表明，克氏锥虫在南美锥蝽肠道中的定植是在消化过程中通过蠕动被动发生的，而不是通过寄生虫介导的主动趋化作用。这些发现突出了克氏锥虫Y株 - 南美锥蝽模型系统作为深入分子表征寄生虫与载体相互作用的有前途的工具，可能为这种被忽视的致命人类病原体的生物学提供新的见解。
