title: Cell signalling and Trypanosoma cruzi invasion.
abstract: Mammalian cell invasion by the protozoan pathogen Trypanosoma cruzi is critical to its survival in the host. To promote its entry into a wide variety of non-professional phagocytic cells, infective trypomastigotes exploit an arsenal of heterogenous surface glycoproteins, secreted proteases and signalling agonists to actively manipulate multiple host cell signalling pathways. Signals initiated in the parasite upon contact with mammalian cells also function as critical regulators of the invasion process. Whereas the full spectrum of cellular responses modulated by T. cruzi is not yet known, mounting evidence suggests that these pathways impinge on a number of cellular processes, in particular the ubiquitous wound-repair mechanism exploited for lysosome-mediated parasite entry. Furthermore, differential engagement of host cell signalling pathways in a cell type-specific manner and modulation of host cell gene expression by T. cruzi are becoming recognized as essential determinants of infectivity and intracellular survival by this pathogen.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Bldg I Rm 713, Boston, MA 02115, USA. bburleig@hsph.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Barbara A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Burleigh
authors.forename: Aaron M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Woolsey
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000469:parasitology*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000378:metabolism; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D016328:NF-kappa B; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D014443:Tyrosine; D019869:Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; C090703:oligopeptidase B; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; C063214:cruzipain; D002118:Calcium