Adrenergic ligands trigger intracellular differentiation of trypanosoma cruzi.

Intracellular forms of trypanosoma cruzi, amastigote, could remain in the inner space of mammalian cells for long periods of time and be in contact with various cellular metabolism products. Some of these metabolites could act as signals that trigger parasite differentiation process to trypomastigote form. The present results suggest that increase of intracellular cAMP by adrenergic ligands or cholera toxin in parasite infected cells is able to induce such differentiation process.