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Tsetse EP protein protects the fly midgut from trypanosome establishment

Haines, Lee ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8821-6479, Lehane, Stella, Pearson, Terry W and Lehane, Mike (2010) 'Tsetse EP protein protects the fly midgut from trypanosome establishment'. PLoS Pathogens, Vol 6, Issue 3, e1000793.

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Abstract

African trypanosomes undergo a complex developmental process in their tsetse fly vector before transmission back to a vertebrate host. Typically, 90% of fly infections fail, most during initial establishment of the parasite in the fly midgut. The specific mechanism(s) underpinning this failure are unknown. We have previously shown that a Glossina-specific, immunoresponsive molecule, tsetse EP protein, is up regulated by the fly in response to gram-negative microbial challenge. Here we show by knockdown using RNA interference that this tsetse EP protein acts as a powerful antagonist of establishment in the fly midgut for both Trypanosoma brucei brucei and T. congolense. We demonstrate that this phenomenon exists in two species of tsetse, Glossina morsitans morsitans and G. palpalis palpalis, suggesting tsetse EP protein may be a major determinant of vector competence in all Glossina species. Tsetse EP protein levels also decline in response to starvation of the fly, providing a possible explanation for increased susceptibility of starved flies to trypanosome infection. As starvation is a common field event, this fact may be of considerable importance in the epidemiology of African trypanosomiasis.

Item Type: Article
Subjects: WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 680 Tropical diseases (General)
WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 705 Trypanosomiasis
WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 755 Epidemiology
QX Parasitology > Insects. Other Parasites > QX 650 Insect vectors
QX Parasitology > Protozoa > QX 70 Mastigophora. (e.g., Giardia. Trichomonas. Trypanosoma. Leishmania)
WB Practice of Medicine > Medical Climatology > WB 710 Diseases of geographic areas
QX Parasitology > Insects. Other Parasites > QX 505 Diptera
WC Communicable Diseases > Tropical and Parasitic Diseases > WC 695 Parasitic diseases (General)
Faculty: Department: Groups (2002 - 2012) > Vector Group
Digital Object Identifer (DOI): https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1000793
Depositing User: Users 183 not found.
Date Deposited: 29 Mar 2010 14:04
Last Modified: 17 Jul 2020 10:57
URI: https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/949

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