Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2010 Nov;126(3):283-91.
doi: 10.1016/j.exppara.2010.06.023. Epub 2010 Jun 18.

Molecular mechanisms of host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi

Conrad L Epting  1 , Bria M Coates, David M Engman
Affiliations
Review

Molecular mechanisms of host cell invasion by Trypanosoma cruzi

Conrad L Epting et al. Exp Parasitol. 2010 Nov.

Erratum in

  • Exp Parasitol. 2011 Feb;127(2):607

Abstract

The protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease, is an obligate intracellular protozoan pathogen. Overlapping mechanisms ensure successful infection, yet the relationship between these cellular events and clinical disease remains obscure. This review explores the process of cell invasion from the perspective of cell surface interactions, intracellular signaling, modulation of the host cytoskeleton and endosomal compartment, and the intracellular innate immune response to infection.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trypanosoma cruzi forms nests of intracellular parasites (white arrow) when it infects mammalian cells, especially cardiac and skeletal muscle. Shown here is an H&E stained section of a mouse heart demonstrating parasitosis of adjacent cardiac myocytes. Bar = 20 micrometers.
Figure 2
Figure 2
T. cruzi interacts with the host cytoskeleton during cell invasion. Shown here are H9C2 rat cardiomyoblasts during invasion with Trypanosoma cruzi. Host and parasite DNA in blue (DAPI) host lysosomes in red, host α-tubulin in green. Bar = 5 micrometers
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Coura JR, Dias JC. Epidemiology, control and surveillance of Chagas disease--100 years after its discovery. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2009;104:31–40. - PubMed
    1. Coura JR. Chagas disease: what is known and what is needed--a background article. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2007;102(Suppl 1):113–122. - PubMed
    1. Moncayo A, Silveira AC. Current epidemiological trends for Chagas disease in Latin America and future challenges in epidemiology, surveillance and health policy. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2009;104(Suppl 1):17–30. - PubMed
    1. Milei J, Guerri-Guttenberg RA, Grana DR, Storino R. Prognostic impact of Chagas disease in the United States. Am Heart J. 2009;157:22–29. - PubMed
    1. Schmunis GA. Epidemiology of Chagas disease in non-endemic countries: the role of international migration. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz. 2007;102(Suppl 1):75–85. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms