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Biology of African trypanosomes in the tsetse fly
Author(s) -
Vickerman Keith,
Tetley Laurence,
Hendry Kay A.K.,
Turner C. Michael R.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
biology of the cell
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.543
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1768-322X
pISSN - 0248-4900
DOI - 10.1016/0248-4900(88)90070-6
Subject(s) - biology , kinetoplast , flagellum , trypanosoma , organelle , trypanosoma brucei , microbiology and biotechnology , mitochondrial dna , tsetse fly , mitochondrion , vector (molecular biology) , parasite hosting , trypanosomiasis , gene , dna , genetics , virology , ecology , recombinant dna , world wide web , computer science
African trypanosomes present several features of interest to cell biologists. These include: a repressible single mitochondrion with a large mass of mitochondrial DNA, the kinetoplast; a special organelle, the glycosome, which houses the enzymes of the glycolytic chain; a surface coat of variable glycoprotein which enables the parasite to evade the mammalian host's immune response; and a unique flagellum‐to‐host attachment mechanism associated with novel cytoskeletal elements. Trypanosome development during the life cycle involves cyclical activation and repression of genes controlling these activities. Understanding the complexity of parasite development in the tsetse fly vector is especially challenging but may help to suggest new methods for the control of trypanosomiasis.