In this study, we report the characterization of seven trypanosome stocks isolated in different geographical areas of Latin America and from different vector species, by analysis of kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) restriction fragmentlength polymorphism, using five different restriction endonucleases, and genomic DNA by duplex PCR assay. According to the statistical study, the stocks were grouped into t...

This review outlines aspects on the developmental stages of Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli in the invertebrate host, Rhodnius prolixus. Special attention is given to the interactions of these parasites with gut and hemolymph molecules and the effects of the organization of midgut epithelial cells on the parasite development. The vector insect's permissiveness to T. cruzi, which devel...

Chagas’ disease, produced by Trypanosoma cruzi, affects millions of people in Latin-America and is now being globalized through congenital, transfusional and transplantation transmission. In our laboratory we have developed an experimental mouse model of vaccination with non pathogenic Trypanosoma rangeli, that stimulates both innate and adaptive immunity, modulates the pattern of cytokines and...

Thirty-six Trypanosomatidae stocks isolated from various hosts and geographical areas in Colombia and 7 others from Bolivia, Chile, Honduras and Panama have been surveyed by Multilocus Enzyme Electrophoresis (MLEE). Part of the Colombian stocks were previously characterized by morphology and biological behavior as belonging to Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli taxa, others were unknown ...

The Federal District of Brazil (DF) lies within the Cerrado biome, where open shrubland (savannas) is interspersed with riverside gallery forests and permanent swamps (veredas). Trypanosoma cruzi-infected native triatomines occur in the area, but the enzootic transmission of trypanosomatids remains poorly characterized. A parasitological survey involving sylvatic triatomines (166 Rhodnius negle...

Two Trypanosoma cruzi-derived cloning vectors, pTREX-n and pBs:CalB1/CUB01, were used to drive the expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and DsRed in Trypanosoma rangeli Tejera, 1920, and Trypanosoma cruzi Chagas, 1909, isolates, respectively. Regardless of the species, group, or strain, parasites harboring the transfected constructs as either episomes or stable chromosomal integrations...

Trypanosoma copemani is known to be infective to a variety of Australian marsupials. Characterisation of this parasite revealed the presence of stercorarian-like life-cycle stages in culture, which are similar to T. rangeli and T. cruzi. The blood incubation infectivity test (BIIT) was adapted and used to determine if T. copemani, like T. cruzi and T. rangeli, has the potential to grow in the p...

To study the influence o f host age, inoculum size, and route o f infection on Trypanosoma (Herpetosoma) rangeli, 12 lots o f 6.0 g albino mice (NMRI strain) were infected up. with from 25x101 to 25xl(fi trypomastigotes/gram body weight harvested from LIT medium. The lower inocula produced low but persistent parasitemias, while the higher inocula produced high levels o f parasitemia that fell q...

This paper reports rational engineering of Trypanosoma rangeli sialidase to develop an effective enzyme for a potentially important type of reactivity: production of sialylated prebiotic glycans. The Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidase and the homologous T. rangeli sialidase has previously been used to investigate the structural requirements for trans-sialidase activity. We observed that the T. c...