Programmed cell death in African trypanosomes.
Until recently it had generally been assumed that apoptosis and other forms of programmed cell death evolved during evolution of the metazoans to regulate growth and development in these multicellular organisms. However, recent research is adding strength to the original phenotypic observations described almost a decade ago which indicated that some parasitic protozoa may have evolved a cell death pathway analogous to the process described as apoptosis in metazoa. Here we explore the implications of a programmed cell death pathway in the African tsetse-transmitted trypanosomes.
Welburn
S C
SC
Centre for Infectious Diseases, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Edinburgh, EH25 9RG. sue.welburn@ed.ac.uk
Macleod
E
E
Figarella
K
K
Duzensko
M
M
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007303:Insect Vectors / Q000469:parasitology; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000469:parasitology; D011156:Population Density; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000166:cytology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000469:parasitology; D014370:Tsetse Flies / Q000469:parasitology