title: Bioluminescent imaging of Trypanosoma brucei shows preferential testis dissemination which may hamper drug efficacy in sleeping sickness.
abstract: Monitoring Trypanosoma spread using real-time imaging in vivo provides a fast method to evaluate parasite distribution especially in immunoprivileged locations. Here, we generated monomorphic and pleomorphic recombinant Trypanosoma brucei expressing the Renilla luciferase. In vitro luciferase activity measurements confirmed the uptake of the coelenterazine substrate by live parasites and light emission. We further validated the use of Renilla luciferase-tagged trypanosomes for real-time bioluminescent in vivo analysis. Interestingly, a preferential testis tropism was observed with both the monomorphic and pleomorphic recombinants. This is of importance when considering trypanocidal drug development, since parasites might be protected from many drugs by the blood-testis barrier. This hypothesis was supported by our final study of the efficacy of treatment with trypanocidal drugs in T. brucei-infected mice. We showed that parasites located in the testis, as compared to those located in the abdominal cavity, were not readily cleared by the drugs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Department of Parasitology, Antwerp, Belgium. fclaes@itg.be
authors.forename: Filip
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Claes
authors.forename: Suman K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Vodnala
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: van Reet
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Boucher
authors.forename: Hilda
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lunden-Miguel
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baltz
authors.forename: Bruno Maria
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Goddeeris
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Büscher
authors.forename: Martin E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Rottenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods; D013737:Testis / Q000469:parasitology*; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D049410:Luciferases, Renilla