Publication Date:
1996-06-21
Description:
The paradigm of antigenic variation in parasites is the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) of African trypanosomes. Only one VSG is expressed at any time, except for short periods during switching. The reasons for this pattern of expression and the consequences of expressing more than one VSG are unknown. Trypanosoma brucei was genetically manipulated to generate cell lines that expressed two VSGs simultaneously. These VSGs were produced in equal amounts and were homogeneously distributed on the trypanosome surface. The double-expressor cells had similar population doubling times and were as infective as wild-type cells. Thus, the simultaneous expression of two VSGs is not intrinsically harmful.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Munoz-Jordan, J L -- Davies, K P -- Cross, G A -- AI 21531/AI/NIAID NIH HHS/ -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 1996 Jun 21;272(5269):1795-7.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Rockefeller University, New York 10012, USA.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8650579" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Animals
;
Antigenic Variation
;
Cell Membrane/chemistry
;
Gentamicins/pharmacology
;
Parasitemia
;
Protein Synthesis Inhibitors/pharmacology
;
Rats
;
Transfection
;
Trypanosoma brucei brucei/genetics/growth &
;
development/immunology/*metabolism/pathogenicity
;
Trypanosomiasis, African/parasitology
;
Variant Surface Glycoproteins, Trypanosoma/analysis/*biosynthesis/genetics
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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