The role of African trypanosomal trans-sialidases in the transmission of Trypanosoma congolense between the fly vector and life stock host suffering Nagana disease

非洲锥虫病，在人类中被称为昏睡病，在牛中被称为那加纳病，是一种在非洲死灰复燃的疾病。该项目的目的是验证反式唾液酸酶（TS）和TS样蛋白在刚果锥虫和相关锥虫的感染周期中发挥作用的假设，特别是在蝇媒感染的建立和随后向哺乳动物宿主的传播中。在德国和尼日利亚合作伙伴的密切合作下，遗传和生化方法将用于研究刚果锥虫和布鲁氏锥虫在生命周期各阶段TS和TS样基因的表达模式，研究该领域的表达模式异质性，表征基因产物的酶活性和特异性，并探索抑制果蝇和哺乳动物宿主中锥虫TS活性的效果。

African trypanosomiasis, called sleeping sickness in humans and Nagana in cattle, is a disease that is resurgent in Africa. The aim of this project is to test the hypothesis that trans-sialidase (TS) and TS-like proteins play a role in the infection cycle of T. congolense and related trypanosomes, in particular in the establishment of infection in the fly vector and the subsequent trans - mission to mammalian hosts. In close collaboration between the German and Nigerian partners genetic and biochemical approaches will be used to investigate the expression patterns of TS and TS-like genes of T. congolense and T. brucei during the stages in the trypanosome life cycle, study the expression pattern heterogeneity in the field, characterise the enzymatic activity and specificity of the gene products and probe the effects of inhibiting the trypanosomal TS activity in flies and mammalian hosts.