Factors affecting trypanosome maturation in tsetse flies.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 17318257.
- Also identified by PMC identifier PMC283559.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Trypanosoma brucei brucei infections which establish successfully in the tsetse fly midgut may subsequently mature into mammalian infective trypanosomes in the salivary glands. This maturation is not automatic and the control of these events is complex. Utilising direct in vivo feeding experiments, we report maturation of T. b. brucei infections in tsetse is regulated by antioxidants as well as environmental stimuli. Dissection of the maturation process provides opportunities to develop transmission blocking vaccines for trypanosomiasis. The present work suggests L-cysteine and/or nitric oxide are necessary for the differentiation of trypanosome midgut infections in tsetse.