title: Biological characterization of a beta-galactosidase expressing clone of Trypanosoma cruzi CL strain.
abstract: Clone CL B5 of Trypanosoma cruzi is a beta-galactosidase expressing organism that was genetically transfected to be used for in vitro pharmacological screening. Biological parameters were determined, evaluating growth kinetics of epimastigotes, metacyclogenesis, infectivity to mammalian cell lines, parasitemia kinetics in mice and sensibility to nifurtimox and benznidazole. Differences in relation to other strains and CL parental strain were found, the most important being the incapability to produce death to mice in spite of the high inoculum used. However, it possesses the required features to be used for in vitro drug screening. Data obtained demonstrate that heterogeneity of T. cruzi appears even among clones of the same strain, and that these differences found do not prevent the use of clone CL B5 for the purpose that was engineered.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, España.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le-Senne
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Muelas-Serrano
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fernández-Portillo
authors.forename: José Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Escario
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gómez-Barrio
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D019976:Cloning, Organism; D051379:Mice; D009547:Nifurtimox / Q000494:pharmacology; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D014709:Vero Cells; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D009547:Nifurtimox; C009999:benzonidazole