Resumen de Stress Response in the Infective Stage of Trypanosoma brucei
Marcelo A. Comini, Andrea Medeiros Souza, Bruno Manta
African trypanosomes (Trypanosoma brucei sp.) are unicellular eukaryotic organisms that undergo a complex life cycle shuttling between an invertebrate (vector) and a mammalian host. The parasites have evolved sophisticated and efficient mechanisms to cope with, and adapt to, different environmental conditions. Distinct physical (temperature, pH, osmotic pressure) and biological (endo- and exo-biotic molecules, antibodies, proteases, etc) stimuli acting individually or in a concerted manner induce an adaptive response in the parasite. Depending on the nature and extent of the stress, the cellular response can be transient or long-term and associated with minor or major morphological and metabolic changes. In this chapter we compile the most significant molecular and biological aspects related to the mechanisms and components of the stress response of T. brucei to adapt and survive in the bloodstream of mammals.
