Meiotic sex in Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi

Schwabl, P., Imamura, H., Van den Broeck, F., Costales, J. A., Maiguashca-Sánchez, J., Miles, M. A., Andersson, B., Grijalva, M. J. and Llewellyn, M. S. (2019) Meiotic sex in Chagas disease parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Nature Communications, 10, 3972. (doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-11771-z) (PMID:31481692) (PMCID:PMC6722143)

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Abstract

Genetic exchange enables parasites to rapidly transform disease phenotypes and exploit new host populations. Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasitic agent of Chagas disease and a public health concern throughout Latin America, has for decades been presumed to exchange genetic material rarely and without classic meiotic sex. We present compelling evidence from 45 genomes sequenced from southern Ecuador that T. cruzi in fact maintains truly sexual, panmictic groups that can occur alongside others that remain highly clonal after past hybridization events. These groups with divergent reproductive strategies appear genetically isolated despite possible co-occurrence in vectors and hosts. We propose biological explanations for the fine-scale disconnectivity we observe and discuss the epidemiological consequences of flexible reproductive modes. Our study reinvigorates the hunt for the site of genetic exchange in the T. cruzi life cycle, provides tools to define the genetic determinants of parasite virulence, and reforms longstanding theory on clonality in trypanosomatid parasites.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:This study was funded by the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institutes of Health (DMID/NIAID/NIH grants AI077896-01 and AI105749-01A1); the NIH-Fogarty Global Infectious Disease Training Program (grant TW008261); the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (I13048, J13033, K13063 and L13225); and the Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance. Work with T. cruzi was conducted under framework agreement No. MAE-DNB-CM-2015-0030 from the Ecuadorian Ministry of Environment.
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Llewellyn, Professor Martin and Schwabl, Philipp
Authors: Schwabl, P., Imamura, H., Van den Broeck, F., Costales, J. A., Maiguashca-Sánchez, J., Miles, M. A., Andersson, B., Grijalva, M. J., and Llewellyn, M. S.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine
Journal Name:Nature Communications
Publisher:Nature Research
ISSN:2041-1723
ISSN (Online):2041-1723
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2019 The Authors
First Published:First published in Nature Communications 10:3972
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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Project CodeAward NoProject NamePrincipal InvestigatorFunder's NameFunder RefLead Dept
721943Leishmaniasis in the Brazilian Amazon: the role of accessory microbiota in disease progression, pathobiology and immunity.Martin LlewellynMedical Research Council (MRC)MR/M026353/1LS - LIFE SCIENCES ADMINISTRATION