Mechanisms of Parasite Survival: Trypanosoma musculi Kidney Forms

9423188 Dusanic Trypanosoma musculi是一种寄生在受感染小鼠血液中的原生动物寄生虫。它缺乏细胞内阶段，并在寄生虫（锥虫）从循环中清除后引起保护性免疫，以防止再感染。无法检测到寄生虫，也没有活动性感染的证据。然而，当锥虫在外周血和其他组织中找不到时，它们会在肾脏的毛细血管（直血管）中持续存在很长时间。这种宿主-寄生虫关系为研究免疫宿主的潜伏感染提供了一个模型。该项目旨在描述直肠血管中寄生虫的精确位置。它将描述它们的形态和繁殖活动，它们在直肠血管条件下的相互作用，以及它们的生化和表面特征。获得的数据将表明这些肾脏形式是否代表锥虫生命周期中的一个独特阶段，并为寄生虫在潜伏感染期间在免疫宿主中的持久性提供见解。＊＊＊

9423188 Dusanic Trypanosoma musculi is a protozoan parasite which resides in the bloodstream of the infected mouse. It lacks intracellular stages and provokes a protective immunity against reinfection after the parasites (trypanosomes) are cleared from the general circulation. Parasites can not be detected and there is no evidence of an active infection. However, trypanosomes persist in the capillaries (vasa recta) of the kidneys long after they can no longer be found in the peripheral blood and other tissues. This host-parasite relationship provides a model for studies of latent infections in immune hosts. This project is designed to describe the precise locations of the parasites in the vasa recta. It will describe their morphology and reproductive activities, their interactions under conditions in the vasa recta, and their biochemical and surface characteristics. The data obtained will indicate whether these kidney forms represent a unique stage in the trypanosome's life cycle and provide insights into the persistence of the parasites in the immune host during latent infections. ***